Cutting the bills – how to save electricity and gas

The other day we got a letter informing us that, yet again, our electricity and gas bill is going up.

Not much we can do about the pricing – it’s set to rise and keep on rising, I don’t think that will change.

But there ARE some things that we can do to cut down the energy we are using, to save money that way.

And here’s what can help:

• make sure the house is properly insulated. At least 15mm in the loft, and cavity wall insulation if you have such a space. Most councils have cheap insulation schemes that you can tap into – some schemes even offer insulation free!
• Draft proof your doors and windows (and cat flaps!). It’s incredible how much heat can be lost through tiny gaps.
• Put foil behind your radiators. This helps reflect heat back into the room.
• Get applicances with the best energy rating (AAA) where possible.
• Use a smart meter to monitor exactly what energy you are using, and to learn the effect that different applicances and services have on your energy usage.
• Invest in switching to low energy lightbulbs if you haven’t already. They use much, much less energy and they should last longer too. Some energy companies will even supply some to their customers for free.
• Get some decent curtains. Closed, in summer they will help keep the house cool, and in winter they will help keep the heat in.
• Don’t block ventilation bricks or fill rooms with too much clutter. Proper ventilation goes hand in hand with good insulation and if you don’t have the ventilation right you’ll end up with condensation and damp.
• Turn down the thermostat one degree. Can you stick on a jumper instead of heating the house to a higher temperature? Statistically speaking in modern times we are heating our houses to higher and higher temperatures.
• Pick up a powerdown switch which will automatically turn off all your electrical devices (barring the all important tv recorder of course 😉 ) rather than leaving them on standby.
• Make sure you have an efficient boiler, and individual thermostatic heating controls if possible. These measures are covered by the Government’s Green Deal which can help with funding installation of such energy efficient improvements for residents (homeowners or tenants) who want them.

Individually, all these things may not sound like much, and most require very little investment in monetary terms – yet together they will all make a bigger difference than you might realise to your bills.

Got any other great tips? Do feel free to share them!