Chopping up your vegetables and changing your lightbulbs are among the small things households can do to reduce their energy bills, according to experts.
Bills are expected to increase by more than £200 per year as the war in Iran pushes up global gas prices. An average household in England and Wales can soon expect to pay £1,861 per year for energy, according to consultancy Cornwall Insight.
This increase will be felt in July, which is the next time regulator Ofgem will adjust the energy price cap. In the meantime, there are several small things households can do to try to bring their bill down.
Draft-proof your house
Spring is a good time of year to think about DIY projects that could improve your home’s energy efficiency next winter.
This could involve large projects such as fitting solar panels or insulation, but there are smaller things you can do, according to Tim Skelton-Smith, mobile energy advice centre co-ordinator for the charity National Energy Action.
“Things like getting rid of drafts – that’s a really good thing to do,” he said. This could be as simple as rolling up a towel and placing it at the base of a room or outside door, or covering any gaps in your loft door with an old blanket.
People with single glazing should consider installing secondary glazing, which can come in the form of a transparent film of plastic or magnetic strip, he added, describing it as a “very inexpensive way of doing that, that will really help to keep the heating”.
Change your tariff
As a first port of call, people thinking of changing their energy tariff can use the Uswitch website to see what is available, Skelton-Smith said – although now is a “tricky time” for coming off fixed rate tariffs and looking for a new deal.
One option worth considering is whether to switch to a “time of use” tariff that charges for electricity depending on when you want to utilise it.
On these tariffs, when demand is low, for example overnight, the cost of electricity is cheaper. This is a particularly good option for people with electric cars, who can charge overnight, and for householders with heat pumps and/or solar with a home battery.
The National Energy System Operator has just announced plans to launch a scheme that will see customers of some energy firms, such as British Gas and Octopus Energy, rewarded for using electricity outside of peak times. The scheme will be open to households with a smart meter.
Check your appliances
Skelton-Smith also recommends households check their appliances to make sure they running in the most efficient way possible.
One easy hack is to lower the temperature of your boiler flow, which dictates the temperature of the water flowing into your radiators, to 60°C. Most are set to 75-80°C by default.
He also suggests running your washing machine at 30°C, which is fine unless your clothes are heavily soiled.
For people using old storage heaters, it may be worth upgrading them as the technology has improved considerably and modern heaters can save you significantly on your bills.
Another quick fix is switching to low-energy LED lightbulbs.
Try energy-efficient cooking
There are lots of small things you can do in the kitchen to minimise the amount of energy you use when cooking your meals.
“If you cut up your vegetables into smaller pieces, they’ll cook quicker. So therefore, you’re saving bits of gas and electric here and there,” Skelton-Smith said.
Other tips include opening your oven door as little as possible, and only boiling the amount of water that you need in the kettle.
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