WITH energy bills set to rise in April, the ongoing war in Ukraine piling on pressure at the pumps and a proposed National Insurance rise set to come in, we’re all worried how to make ends meet.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has already warned from April 1, many households will see their gas and electric bills go up hundreds of pounds each year.
Here’s ten quick tips which could save you nearly £400 off your household bill:
- Lowering your thermostat dial by just one degree could reduce bills by around £80-85 per year.
- Adjusting central heating timers to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption.
- For rooms such as bedrooms that stand empty throughout the day, people should consider turning the radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely.
- Fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help reduce the rate of heat loss in any room. ASDA is currently selling rolls of foil for 65p, so it’s well worth doing.
- Lowering the temperature of your washing machine is an eco-friendly way to save money. Even a 20°C wash can do the trick in some cases, particularly when using liquid detergent rather than powder.
- For drying clothes, aim to dry clothes on a rack instead of in a tumble dryer – for those who do opt to use a dryer, clean its filter first to improve energy efficiency.
- Not quite a simple tip, but did you know up to a third of heat disappears through the roof? As a result, it makes sense to add insulation if you can. Which? found that installing loft insulation, if you do not have it already, could save you up to £215 per year in energy bills depending on your home.
- Buy a draught-excluding cushion and put it in front of your door to maximise savings tackle draughty windows, doors, chimneys, floorboards, skirting boards and loft hatches – this can be done using draught excluder strips or expanding foam fillers. The saving could be £25 a year.
- When changing lightbulbs, swapping old-style bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs saves around £7 per year in running costs. As they are longer lasting a single bulb, they could eventually cut around £180 from your energy bills, compared to an old-style halogen bulb.
- Turn appliances off at the power if they’re on standby. For a typical home, this could save £55 a year.
