With the cost of living still on the rise, many households are looking for ways to reduce their bills as we come into the longer, colder and more expensive months. Here are some of our top tips on how to cut down on your household bills this winter.
Compare Energy Suppliers
Sometimes we tend to stick to what we know because it’s easier to just let our bills keep rolling with our current energy provider but this can actually do more harm than good in regard to your bills. It’s always worth shopping around periodically to see who is providing the best value for money, browse the latest new customer offers and check tariffs across all providers. An online energy comparison tool can help you do this if you don’t fancy trawling a lot of websites for the latest information.
Turn off Lights, Taps and Appliances
This is a fairly obvious one but needs to be said as a lot of people think leaving lights on in rooms you aren’t in isn’t a big deal when it comes to your energy bill. In fact, turning off a light when you leave the room can save you up to £20 over the course of a year according to The Energy Saving Trust. Similarly, always turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth or using the sink and if you will be out of a room for a while, turn off the TV or radio. All the small things combined add up to larger bills.
Run Appliances Less Often
Again, the small actions you take today will reduce your future energy bills so it’s a good idea to only run your appliances such as a washing machine, dryer or dishwasher when they are completely full. This will allow you to do less loads, get it all out of the way in one go and reduce the impact appliances have on your future energy bills. Also consider boiling the kettle once in the morning and filling a flask with hot water to use throughout the day. This will ensure you still get your caffeine fix but also reduce your energy usage.
Insulate
Sufficient insulation is one of the biggest energy savers in the home and will keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Whilst there will be an initial outlay cost for this, the benefits will be seen for years to come and will not only reduce your bills but keep you and your family comfortable in your home. Another insulation area which is often overlooked is your boiler. Insulating your boiler will increase its efficiency and reduce the loss of heat, in turn, lowering your bills.
Reduce Food Wastage
Whilst this is not an immediately obvious one, food wastage is often one of the biggest wastes of money in households across the UK and can be solved quite simply with some organisation and forward planning. Avoid going to the supermarket on a whim and adding items to your basket without planning how you are going to use them. Set out your weekly meal plan and stick to it as best you can to avoid any unnecessary food wastage.
Will you be using any of our top tips? What are your favourite ways to reduce your bills in wintertime? We would love to hear your thoughts.
Energy Saving Trust - https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/#:~:text=most%20household%20tasks.-,What%20else%20can%20I%20do%20to%20reduce%20my%20lighting%20bill,as%20you%20leave%20the%20room