Helpful Ways To Reduce Household Bills

Introduction

The clocks went back last month, so that means darker nights, having the lights on longer and most likely the heating. Which reminds us to be more energy and cost effective through the winter.

There are many ways in which you can have an impact on the cost of your energy bills, even in the autumn and winter. In this post we share some genius ways you can keep the costs down this year. To save you searching and scrolling through the internet we’ve put them all together in one handy article post.

Choose The Right Bulbs And Use Them Wisely

When we think of electricity and energy usage the first thing that may come to mind is lights. Lighting up your home is a necessity, especially in the darker evenings. If you find yourself leaving all the lights on in each room, even the ones nnot being used, then do try and remember to turn the light off when you leave the room, remind people when they are visiting and those you live with. This will save energy being wasted in the rooms not being occupied. For areas that should be well lit for safety reasons, such as the stairs and hallways, you can use night lights.

Replacing your current bulbs for energy efficient ones can help lower electricity bills and carbon dioxide emissions, without affecting the quality of light. 15% of a typical household’s electricity bill is the lighting, so for each bulb that you change for an energy efficient one you can save roughly £2 a year.

Energy efficient bulbs are considered - 100, 75, 60, 40 watt incandescent bulb and 50, 35 watt halogen bulb.

If you are unable to change some bulbs, remember to ask a friend or family member next time they visit.

You can use a rechargeable LED book light for reading in bed, they are easy on the eyes and also save you from having to getting up out of bed to turn the light off.

Be Energy Efficient In The Kitchen

Using your electric oven for hours to cook the roast dinner or even a one pot casserole dish can rack up the pounds on your monthly energy bill. There are alternative methods of cooking which can reduce energy consumption and some can even have your meal ready in a fraction of the time.

Making soup on the hob and simmering for an hour or so? Why not switch it up to a soup maker, a soup maker typically takes half an hour from raw chopped up veg to hot, smooth soup, also saving you the need to blend. The soup maker does this for you, when selecting the smooth option. There is an initial cost to switching to a soup maker around £30, but will save you money in the long run.

Another cost affective appliance is an air fryer, with an air fryer there is no need to pre heat the oven for however long, and they can cook items much quicker whilst using far less electricity. There are many air fryers on the market, make sure you choose the right size for you and make sure to read all reviews and instructions carefully. So you can switch it up from your oven for the items that will make more sense to use a more energy efficient appliance, like the air fryer for chips.

If you have an electric oven, the option of using a slow cooker instead for some meals will save you some money too, as they only cost around 16p to cook a meal that would otherwise cost 87p to be cooked in the oven. For some slow cooker recipes see our previous post - Autumnal Slow Cooker Recipes for a Hearty, Healthy Diet

The microwave is generally the most efficient way to heat food - that is due to the fact a microwave reaches higher temperatures, it is a small size and doesn’t require a preheating time. You can reheat in 3 minutes what would take 15-20 minutes in the oven.

If you use a dishwasher, only turn it on when it is at full capacity as a smaller load will use the same amount of energy and hot water. Wait until it is full and you will also reduce the number of times you use it through the week, just don’t overload it so it can work at its best.

Only fill the kettle to the amount required, any more than that and you are just wasting energy. The same goes for heating water on the hob, only use enough water to cover what you are cooking. If you live in an area with hard water you may need to descale your kettle regularly to remove build up to keep it working energy efficiently.

Minimize Your Water Bill

Another bill in which you can start saving some pennies from is your water bill.

If you are a regular bather switch up some of your baths for a quick shower. A speedy shower can use only a third of the amount of water it takes to fill a bath tub. Keeping your showers short and sweet around 5 minutes long will also reduce your electricity usage! Why stop there, you can also replace your showerhead with a low-flow head that will reduce the amount of water you use.

Find and repair any leaky or dripping taps you may have; it may not seem like much water but a single dripping tap can be equal to half a bath tub full of water over 1 week.

Remember to turn off the tab during your morning and evening routines, the water shouldn’t be running the whole time you brush your teeth or wash your face!

How To Use Less Gas At Home

Reducing the amount you turn the heating on is a great way to cut back your gas and central heating costs.

Look to draught proof your home. We’ve all been there, in the sitting room all nice and cosy and warm because we've had the fire on or the radiators and then someone gets up and leaves the room with the door wide open and all the heat has escaped. But sometimes heat escapes through ways less obvious than a door being left open.

Close curtains when it starts getting dark, if you have a radiator under your window then you can tuck your curtains behind the radiator to keep the heat in. Remember to close the internal doors behind you, and place a draught excluder at the bottom of the door for additional sealing of the heat.

Making sure your thermostat is set correctly and not higher than you require, also using a low watt electric blanket in bed instead of having the heating on through the night can have a great impact on your bill.

For more ways to keep warm please see our other post - Top Tips For Keeping Warm in The Colder Months

Look Into Your Eligibility For Support

The government offers support for people over a certain age, check your eligibility for help towards your household bills.

Winter Fuel Payment - Availabe to those born on or before 25 Sept 1956. You may be entitled to between £100 and £300 to help toward your bills this winter (2022-2023). If you receive State Pension or a social security benefit then you should receive an automatic payment. If you do not receive these benefits but are eligible call the Winter Fuel Oayment helpline to make a claim directly on 0800 731 0160. You should have your National Insurance number and bank details at hand when making the call. 

Pensioner Cost of Living Payment - for those who receive the Winter Fuel Payment will also receive a £300 top up in November or December. 

TV Licence Discounts - Those who are 75 or over and receive pension credit can claim a free TV licence, which will cover you and those you live with no matter their age. If you are blind or have a severe sight impairment you can claim a 50% discount from your TV licence, the licence will need to be in your own name if you live with others. For a discount call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6117.

Warm Home Discount - To qualify yourself or your partner will need to have an account with a participating electricity supplier and at least one of you must claim either the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, Savings Credit portion of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. If you are elegible you will receive £150 off your bills this winter (2022-2023)

Energy Bills Discount - All households across Britain will receive non-repayable discounts on their energy bills this winter (2022-2023). The £400 discount will be paid to households over 6 months starting from October 2022, in most cases this will be directly credited to electricity accounts. If you pay by meter then it will be credited to the meter or you should receive a voucher to be redeemed as soon as possible. If you would like further information please contact your energy supplier.