It is a difficult time for everyone in the United Kingdom right now, a soaring cost of living crisis, record high annual inflation since March 1993 and on top of that raging energy prices.
The Conservative Government’s mini budget last Friday will not have given taxpayers the kind of boost they will have been hoping for. The energy price cap has provided some assurances, but it is still roughly double what most, if not all, people had been previously paying, so many will already have the knowledge that they will continue to significantly struggle over the coming winter, so reducing usage is the only available option – given the mini budget more dramatically helps higher earners as opposed to the struggling lower to medium paid, let alone those on in, and out of work, benefits and disability payments.
One thing is for sure right now, even gambling sensible, with good odds and trusted and reliable bookmakers like novibet.ie is not going to be a consistent enough return for many who are struggling. It would provide an interesting distraction when used sensibly for a bit of enjoyment and respite, but everyone is going to need to make a few changes to help moving forward.
So here are a few simple tricks.
One of the easiest things that households can do to lower gas bills is to simply turn down the thermostat by a couple of degrees. Based on Energy Saving Trust advice, and with some numbers crunched by others to reflect the October 1st changes, it has been estimated that for every degree a thermostat is lowered (based on a family of four in a three bedroom property) it works out at a roughly 4% cut, which could be around £100 for a typical home. So the saving is not an inconsiderable sum. Additionally given the debate about leaving the heating on low all day, or having it higher but only when needed, the Energy Saving Trust is quite clear that the heating should only be on when you need it on.
For central heating, simply fitting aluminium foil behind any radiators that sit on external walls can have a massive effect on keeping heat within the home. The same is true for simply using draught excluders on external doors, and internal when the door is closed. Not only can you save money by making your own, it is estimated that decent draught proofing can cut bills by around 2% – which is in the region of £50 a year. Blocking off chimneys can result in an additional 1.5% ish saving.
Cutting a minute from your time in the shower could save you a combined £207, with a potential further £105 if you have a water meter. For those with water meters, investing in a water reduction shower head, or a shower flow reducer limiter set provides further savings, although a simple shower timer (or setting an alarm on your phone) will make a difference. For the more extreme, cold showers are a thing, but if that is not for you, the water does not have to be running whilst physically cleaning yourself, so savings could be even more lucrative.
On an electricity front, there have been many strides forward in energy saving lightbulbs, and whilst most people now are used to the bigger fluorescent spiral savers, LED technology now uses about half the energy of those versions. Simply turning a bulb off when not in the room still adds up to a small saving, with the Energy Saving Trust calculating it could wipe £27 of an annual bill.
With modern washing machines self heating the water, using a lower setting (30 degrees) could save another £54 a year, with an additional £20 saving available for those who can cut one wash per week out.
Simply ensuring you do not overfill your kettle, and are only boiling what you need for your tea, coffee or hot chocolate could save another £16. Alternatively, if you are a more regular drinking, fill to the brim, boil once and use a thermos to ensure you are only boiling the kettle once during a 2-3 hour period of time.
It is no where near the problem it used to be, but there are still small savings to be made by not leaving devices on standby. Since 2013, it has been law that devices cannot use more than 0.5 watts whilst in standby mode – eg a television watched for four hours a day, and then left on standby would only cost £1.24 a year for the time it was not being used. However, if you are a device heavy house, then that sum can mount up and it could make a big difference for some.
These are only a few simple tips that will make a difference for everyone, there are far more available here and Google is your friend for even more ideas, options and tricks to help you cut your bills.
