With the regulator’s new price cap in force now, millions of households will see a £700 increase in their energy bills this year. This means an average family will be paying around £1,971 a year in energy bills making energy one of the biggest costs for families living in the UK.
There is not much we can do about the wholesale energy price rise for multiple reasons, there are still steps we can take to save money on our energy bills.
Following are some energy-saving tips and tactics that will help you reduce your energy bills at home.
1. Turn Off Extra Lights And Appliances
It’s perhaps the most obvious energy-saving tip. Turning off extra lights can make a significant difference to your energy usage.
Also, unplug any electric appliances or even charging cables. According to the Energy Saving Trust, you can save around £35/annum by not leaving appliances on standby.
2. Limit Energy Consumption
There are dozens of ways you can easily limit your energy consumption. Washing clothes at a lower temperature, cutting down one cycle a week for the dishwasher and washing machine, drying clothes by hanging outside instead of using a tumble dryer, using a microwave instead of the oven, are a few options to name.
3. Replace Light Bulbs
Energy-saving LED light bulbs are an excellent alternative to conventional bulbs. They help you cut your energy bills easily. An LED light bulb could cut around £180 from your energy bills over its lifetime.
4. Buy Energy Efficient Appliances
Buying appliances with a high energy-efficiency rating is a good idea to reduce your energy bills.
5. Insulating The Home
Insulating loft and cavity walls can help you save around £290 annually.
6. Draught Proof Your Home
You can save up to £25 a year by preventing heat escaping through unwanted gaps around doors and windows. You can simply use draught-proofing strips to seal the windows, doors, etc.
7. Upgrade Your Boiler
If your boiler is coming towards the end of its life, you can reduce your energy bill significantly by upgrading your old boiler. Install a new A-rated condensing boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls to save around £300 a year.
8. Use Smart Thermostat
Reduce your energy bills by installing smart thermostats. They will make your heating more efficient by only heating up the rooms you are using.
9. Look For Energy Efficiency Grants
Look for Energy efficiency grants available that can help you pay your energy bills. Some schemes support the costs of renewable heating. A few examples are the Warm Home Discount – £140 (increasing to £150 in October 2022), Winter Fuel Payment – £100-300 per winter for senior citizens and the Boiler Upgrade scheme which will start from May 2022.
10. Monitor Your Usage
Keep an eye on your energy consumption levels so that you can decide if and when you have to change the way you use energy.
Energy bills have soared from an average of £1,138 in April 2021 to £1,277 in October 2021 and £1,971 in April 2022. A reasonable estimate shows that the price cap could exceed £2,500 by October this year. Keeping this rise in mind we hope you enjoyed our tips to help reduce your energy bills.
