To counter this gloomy news, many people are looking for ways to delay and restrict putting their heating on. There are many ways you could reduce your energy costs:-
- Cavity and loft insulation will save a few hundred pounds a year each. Loft insulation is usually cheaper and should be the first job. If you’re a tenant, you’ll need the landlord to do it or get permission to do it yourself but it’s only worthwhile if you’re staying long-term.
- Many homes are like a sieve with lots of places where the heat can escape, so households need to make sure they have the right insulation in place. Put a ‘brush and flap’ over the letterbox to prevent draughts. Apply draught excluders around leaky doors and windows and even block unused keyholes with tape. Aldi sell the ‘Workzone Adhesive Draught Excluder’ at £1.99
- Put reflective insulation behind all radiators. ‘Superfoil Radiator Reflector’ can be bought at Aldi for £9.99 (covers 3 standard radiators).
- Thermostatic radiator valves are relatively cheap and can be set so that radiators only click on when the temperature drops to a chosen level. You don’t waste money heating a room that’s already warm. Rooms that are not used very often can be turned down very low, which decreases your overall bills.
- Insulating your water tank and hidden pipes is a quick and easy way to save money on your bills.
- Wash clothes on a short cycle at lower temperatures. Also, try and do a full load.
- Tumble driers are expensive, so try drying on a clothes horse. You can also buy heated clothes horses.
- Consider buying a dehumidifier as it speeds up drying the clothes. Dry air is cheaper to heat than damp air. So by removing the humidity, a dehumidifier helps make heating more efficient.
- Heat-activated fans can be placed on wood burners and even certain types of gas fires to throw heat into the main part of the room. Also called stove fans, these can be picked up for as little as £15.
- Less dishwasher use. Only use when full.
- Turn off items on ‘standby’ and remind everyone to turn off lights and consoles when not in use.
- Add warm clothes before whacking up the heating!
- Turn everything off and go for a walk. Let’s face it, everyone spends too much time in the house, so get out more and visit friends and relatives.
- Use LED lights where possible, especially in areas that are not used much. High exposure to lower-intensity blue light can increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration and can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. So try and use ‘warmer’ lighting in your lounge and bedrooms. As a general rule, bluish-white light appears brighter and cooler in tone and is more stimulating. To create a warm, inviting atmosphere in your living space you can use warm white light bulbs in the 2,700-3,000K range – the lower the figure, the more yellow the light will appear.
- Switch to energy-efficient appliances where possible.
The energy price cap is set at £1,717 per year for a typical household that uses electricity and gas and pays by Direct Debit. This is an increase of 10% compared to the cap set in the previous year (£1,568). The price cap is based on typical household energy use.
There are several different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by. Several energy firms have grant schemes available to qualifying customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills could be eligible for grants worth up to £2,000.
