With summer coming to an end, and the winter days roll in, energy consumption and bills are back on the household agenda.
Costs are still extremely high and there’s no energy support available for many households this time around. Forecasts also suggest that the typical household energy bill will increase in the new year, by almost 10%, depending on location and usage.
This is as a result of the wholesale energy prices increasing, and whilst there’s a short-term reprieve for consumers as bills are set to fall from 1 October, when the next price cap comes into effect, but bills are still much higher than in 2021.
It highlights that households need to be as conscious as ever over their energy consumption as there’s little to suggest that pre-pandemic prices will eventually return.
So what are the easy things that households do can to cut energy bills:
Save up to £112 by setting your boilers’s flow temperature to between 55 and 60
Your boiler’s flow setting controls the temperature water is when it leaves your boiler, these are separate from your home’s heating controls. In many cases the default is set too high. Turn it down a bit and your home will feel just as warm.
Heating thermostat controls
Avoid turning the thermostat on and off to boost the temperature in your home, as it will result in more energy being used, and puts additional strain on your boiler.
Instead, set it and leave, or if you do need to turn it on leave it on for a while. Setting your thermostat to somewhere between 18-21° C is ideal, and turning down the thermostat by just 1 degree is enough to produce an energy saving.
Limit the tumble drying
Not always an option for households, but drying clothes on a washing line or equivalent will save you money. Avoid drying clothes on radiators as this will result in your boiler working harder to heat the home, and add to your energy bill.
Put an insulation jacket on your hot water tank
Adding an 80mm insulation jacket to your hot water cylinder will reduce heat loss and as a consequence keep your hot water hotter for longer. This could save you around £45 per year, which is more than the cost of the jacket.
Insulate your hot water pipes
Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise the water temperature by between 2-4°F than uninsulated pipes. This will allow you to reduce your water temperature setting. It will also benefit your water consumption as you’ll have less time to wait for hot water when you turn on your hot water taps, and reduce the chance of them freezing.
Radiator reflector panels
When trying to save money on heating bills and reduce your energy consumption, radiator reflector panels are a great low-cost option.
Fixed behind radiators that are on external walls, they reflect heat from the radiator back into the room, instead of it leaving through the wall and out of the property. These are especially good if you don’t have insulated walls.
Reducing shower time
Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £70 per year.
Bleed your radiators
Bleeding your radiators every so often helps keep them working efficiently but releasing air that has become trapped inside them. This reduces the pressure in your heating system and means that you don’t have to turn your heating up as much, saving on your energy bill.
Lessen the lighting
Approximately 11% of our energy bill comes from lighting, so if you haven’t already made the switch to LED lights, they use 70-80% less electricity than halogen and fluorescent bulbs so can save up to £200 per year on the typical household bill.
Install a smart meter
The benefits of getting a smart meter are that you can see how much everything costs and know how much energy your appliances use. This can be used to change habits and reduce energy consumption, and save on bills.
You’ll also not be required to provide meter readings as these are automatically undertaken from the smart meter. With your bills based on actual consumption rather than estimated, you’ll avoid overpayments.
Switch energy tariff or supplier
There haven’t been many switching deals available as a result of the cost of energy, but this is starting to change, and there are more deals being advertised.
Before switching away from your current supplier, check that you can without incurring any penalties or charges. Checking you’re on the cheapest tariff available for you, will help in working out the best solution for your situation. You’ll need to think about what impact a change in the cost of energy would mean for your deal, as it could end up costing you more.
Provide monthly meter readings
If you’re not on a smart or pre-payment meter, providing your supplier with monthly meter readings will ensure your bills are based on actual consumption rather than estimates. This will stop you from making overpayments on your energy bill.
According to Ofgem in 2021, over half of all UK households had a credit with their energy provider, totalling more than £1.4 billion.
If you’re struggling to afford your energy bill:
- Speak to your supplier and ask for an “able to pay plan” based on what you can afford.
- There’s a range of government support to help with energy bills, available to households on means-tested benefits, pensioners and people on certain disability benefits. Check to understand if you’re entitled to any benefits, and ensure you’re then claiming them.
Further helpful information can be found on the MoneyHelper website.
- Our partner, Vulnerability Registration Service, offers vulnerable consumers a way of sharing information of their circumstances with organisations, to make them aware and take into consideration.
