If you’ve ever received an unexpected utility bill or seen your monthly energy prices soar, then you’ll know the stress this can place on your budget and finances. While you may need to source additional funds to cover the cost, here are five ways you can lower these bills for good.
Switch Off at the Plug
You may have turned your TV off using the remote, but did you know that it could still be using a lot of energy? In fact, if you have a habit of leaving tech and gadgets on standby, it could add almost £100 to your electric bill. As such, switching off at the plug could lead to big savings.
Update Your Thermostat
Although a standard thermostat allows you to alter the temperature while in your home, a smart thermostat provides greater control. For example, rather than leaving your heating on all day, you can turn it on just before you get home. This means your house will still be warm, but it could reduce your energy costs.
Change Your Supplier
If you signed up to a fixed energy tariff when you moved into your home, you will have benefitted from lower prices. However, these deals only last for a couple of years and when they expire, you may be moved onto a standard plan. To solve this, you could switch to another supplier — something that could save you around £300 a year.
Get a Smart Meter
In addition to a smart thermostat, a smart meter can be useful for helping you to monitor your home’s energy consumption. While this alone is not enough to lower bills, it could assist in identifying how you’re using gas and electric, allowing you to reduce your overall usage and therefore, your yearly spend.
Invest in a new Boiler
With many of us turning up the thermostat during the colder winter months, heating can account for half of utility costs in the average home. You could reduce costs by approximately £200 per year by replacing an old boiler with a new, energy efficient model.
Other Energy and Cost Saving Solutions
In addition to the five ideas above, if you’re looking for other ways to reduce your gas and ways to lower electric bill in the winter, you could consider these additional options:
- Draught proofing windows, doors, fireplaces and the loft hatch
- Updating loft and cavity wall insulation
- Selecting energy efficient appliances when it’s time to upgrade
- Replacing old bulbs with LED ones
With the average home’s utility bill coming in at around £100 per month, it’s well worth trying these tips to see how much you could save.
2 Responses
Wow these are great tips! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks for suggesting that we update our wall insulation in order to avoid high utility bills. It’s been years since we moved in and reading your article made me realize that we have done nothing to improve the house’s insulation. It might be a good idea to look for companies that offer this kind of service and see if they are more energy-efficient.