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19 simple ways to cut your energy bills this winter and how to make the most of your tariff
WITH the nights drawing in and the weather starting to get colder, we take a look at 19 tips to help you cut your energy bills and how to make the most of your tariff.
Last week economist Samuel Tombs warned that energy bills could be going up as much as 15 per cent because of rising wholesale costs.
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Since the summer, gas and electricity costs have jumped by 20 per cent and 50 per cent - leaving millions of families having to risk freezing as temperatures plummet because they worry about paying their energy bills.
But before you turn off the heating altogether, take a look at these tips to help cut your bills.
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Tips to help slash your energy bills this winter:
1. Free your radiator
A whopping 42 per cent of homes have one of more radiators blocked by furniture, reports the
And while it may seem like a simple suggestion, removing furniture from in front of your radiator can help circulate the warm air.
2. Short sharp bursts of heating are better than leaving it on a low heat all day
There's a common theory that you should leave your heating on at a low heat because it's cheaper but experts at the Energy Saving Trust and British Gas say this is a myth.
Both agree that you'll save money if you only turn your heating on when you need to as it limits the amount of energy you're losing.
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3. Don't dry your clothes on your radiator
As an alternative to using the tumble dryer, many people use the radiator to dry their clothes but this can actually cost you more.
By drying your clothes on your radiator, you're making the boiler work harder than it needs to, resulting in higher energy costs.
4. Keep your fridge and freezer full
For some people this may seem like a surprise, but keeping your fridge or freezer full actually uses less energy because it doesn't have to work as hard.
So try and keep it full so you're saving on energy and space.
5. Turn the thermostat down 1 degrees Celsius
Incredibly, turning your thermostat down by just 1 degrees Celsius can have a massive impact on your energy bill.
According to you can save up to as much as £60 a year and you'll hardly notice a difference to the temperature of your house.
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6. Get FREE cavity wall insulation
Getting a cavity wall insulation can save you around 15 per cent on your fuel bills, which works out at around £98 a year.
And now, the government are offering full and partial grants to help pay for the insulation if your home has cavity walls.
7. Use energy saving bulbs
While it might seem like hassle, changing your standard light bulbs or halogen spotlights to energy efficient bulbs such as LEDs is worthwhile.
The small change, can save you as much as £35 a year.
8. Spending a minute less in the shower
Just spending a little less time in the shower can help slash money off both your energy bill and your annual water and sewerage bills.
Even just cutting out one minute from your daily shower can save you as much as £10 from your energy bill a year and £12 off the others.
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9. Use a microwave to cook instead of an oven
Microwaves only use around 20 per cent of the energy required to run a full size oven, claim
So, using a microwave, even just every now and then, to cook or reheating your food is much better for your energy bill.
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10. Cook multiple meals at once
If you're going to use the oven you should try and cook a batch of meals so you're making the most of your appliance.
Cooking in bulk means you only need to use the oven a few times a week, which saves on energy costs.
11. Wash your clothes at 30 degrees
Washing your clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40 can help save you a lot of money, this is because 90 per cent of a washing machine's energy expenditure is spent on heating water.
And it doesn't compromise the cleanliness of your clothes.
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12. Don't just leave your appliances on standby
Even if you've left your appliance on standby, it's still using energy, including chargers which continue to use electricity when they're not in use.
So, just by turning something off at the plug, can help you save a lot of energy and in turn reduce your bills.
13. Only fill your kettle up with as much water as you need
Filling your kettle to the top when you're making a hot drink can cost you extra in your energy bills because the appliance needs more electricity to heat up all the water.
Just by only using a much water as you need for your drink, you could save around £7 a year in your energy bills.
14. Invest in draught excluders
Around 46 per cent of homes haven't got any form of draught proofing but it can help save you a lot of money.
Just by blocking the breezes coming from your windows and doors can slash around £35 a year from your energy bills.
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15. Don't rinse your plates before putting them in the dishwasher
While many people believe they should rinse their plates or cutlery before putting them in the dishwasher, this routine can actually end up costing you because of the hot water usage.
If you just simply scrap any excess food in the bin before putting the plates in the dishwasher, you should save money on your energy bills.
16. Cook on the correct oven ring
It may be tempting use a large pan on the biggest ring because it can cook your food quicker, but you're actually costing yourself money.
If you're cooking a small meal and you use a big pan on the large ring, you're wasting energy as it will take longer to heat up than if you use a small pan.
17. Turn off the oven for the last few minutes of cooking
If you're cooking a meal in an electric oven, you can turn it off for the last few minutes before the end because the heat will remain inside.
And doing this also helps saves you money because you're using less energy.
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18. Allow food to cool before putting it in the fridge or freezer
If you've cooked more food than you need or made your lunch for the next day, it can be tempting to whack it straight in the fridge but you shouldn't do this until it's cooled down.
By putting warm food into the fridge or freezer, you're making it work a lot hard to cool down the food and using up more energy.
19. Use a steamer to cook vegetables
The expression killing two birds with one stone applies here, by using a steamer you can cook multiple vegetables at once.
This means you're not using as much energy and in turn saving yourself some money.
Are there other ways to cut energy bills?
And there are a number of other ways you can save money on your energy bills which don't involved freezing under a blanket.
- Winter Fuel Discount
- Cold Weather Payments
- Warm Home Discount Scheme
- Energy grants and extra help from your supplier
- Switching suppliers
- Lock into a cheap fixed energy rate now
- Shop around as a new customer
- Pay to ditch your old deal
- Leave your account in credit
- Switch every three years
- Check every comparison site
Should you switch your fixed energy tariff?
So far, none of the “big six” energy firms – E.on, EDF Energy, British Gas, nPower, SSE and Scottish Power – have announced price increases.
Fixing your energy bill is a big gamble, if prices go up then you’ll get a good deal by guaranteeing the rate you pay.
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Although, if prices go down then you might end up paying more and you’ll have to pay a penalty to leave.
And it also is important to remember that some fixed tariffs come with penalty fees if you leave before the end of your contract. You’ll need to factor this into your decision.
How to get a cheaper gas and electricity deal
If you've never switched before - or are on a standard tariffs - then you could save as much as £400 off your annual bill. If you switch regularly, then the savings are usually smaller - around £50 a year.
If you don't switch when you reach the end of a fixed deal then your costs could double.
Sites such as, uSwitch.com, GoCompare.com or Energyhelpline.com are a good place to start. You’ll need a recent bill and details about who supplies your energy to get an accurate comparison.
We also have information on how you can get help with your energy bills this winter if you're struggling to pay them.
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