Reducing gas and electricity bills

[2015mom]

Hey guys

Are there any other ways of saving money on has and electricity other than the ones listed below?

GAS & ELECTRICITY:
• Change your tariff when it expires by using a comparison website
• See if you can get cashback using Topcashback/Quidco to search via a comparison website
• Once you have a quote then check Topcashback/Quidco to see if the company offers cashback if so, purchase gas & electricity bundle via the cashback website
• Some comparison sites give vouchers or cashback
• Put a diary date to remind you a few weeks before the tariff will expire to shop around again
• Pay by direct debit because it works out cheaper
• Use low energy lightbulbs
• Switch TV off rather than put it on standby
• Switch off TV if you are not watching it
• Don't charge your mobile or any devices at night because you are paying to charge when not required
• Switch off plug sockets if not in use
• Switch off unused lights
• Don't leave gas running
• Put boiler on timer
• Turn thermostat done by 1 degrees
• Bulk cook and freeze
• Put diswasher on when full
• Put washing load on when full
• Put tumble dryer on when full
• Wash clothes at 30 degrees
• Dry clothes outside rather than using tumble dryer
• Switch off heating and wear layers or dressing gown
• Close curtains at dusk
• Get lining for curtains to keep heat in
• Don't boil too much water, only boil what is required
• Get boiler serviced to ensure it is working at optimal performance
• Insulate house more
• Use draught excluders
• Replace boiler to a more economical
• Consider solar panels
• Send meter readings to provider for more accurate bills
• Check eligibility for Warm Home Discount
• Are you eligible for a grant?
• Energy Efficiency advice centre - 0800 512 012
• When upgrading appliances make sure they are more energy efficient
• Do energy saving test on www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
hec.est.org.uk
• Details of energy grants www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator/y
• If you are on a fixed tariff you could be paying an exit few if you leave early. You could also be paying more if energy prices decrease
• If the energy rate is variable then the cost will go up and down based on the market

We pay £77 a month but during the summer we have been in credit which is great but over winter they have projected that we are paying too little so may have to pay more. We give our meter readings too

Minimise use of the oven - cook several things in it at once, or don't use it.
Reminds me, I've been meaning for ages to find a decent book on microwave cookery.

On the subject of clothing, don't be embarrassed to wear hats and scarves in the house. It makes quite a difference. And it's a use for those slightly feeble woolly hats that give next to no provision for windchill outside. They're usually fine in the house.

Don't heat rooms you're not using, if you have them, spare rooms, dining rooms and so on. But do use the frost settings or 1 on radiators along with an appropriate thermostat setting. Burst pipes could cancel out a lot of savings on fuel.

So if you switch off radiators in rooms that you don't use that saves you has and electricity? I just thought the same amount of has and electricity was used whether radiator is on or off

Are you writing a blog?

Def switch rads off in unused rooms unless you have damp issues.

I would add;

Switch off anything with a clock on it. Oven, microwave etc. Switch it off at the wall.

Lower the hot water tank/boiler if it's a combi to 55c. Lots are set way too high.

Buy a spin dryer off eBay second hand for £30. They get so much water out, then your tumble dryer won't need to be on as long. Tumble dryers are huge consumers.

Use a halogen oven. Mine saved me £50 a year. It cooks things so much better too. I use wilko skewers through meat to speed it up more. They cost £30ish. Plus they cook quicker too & you can put the bowl in the dishwasher. I only use the main oven at Christmas and for pizza now.

You can wash clothes on cold. Whites, Sheets, towels and dishcloths need heat but clothes come out well on cold.

LED light bulbs are great, we have them everywhere.

At the weekend I'm going to use window film in our lounge, it has a sizeable window, a tiny window and French doors. It's freezing in there despite being a new build so I'm going to try the film.

Check appliance manuals, use the cheapest wash cycle. Ours is synthetics.

Our electric use is £5 a week, only the heating is gas.

Our combined gas and electricity bill is £30 a month.

Use a slow cooker - costs pennies and is really convenient

Live in a modern flat, in the south east - we never put the heating on as the other flats surrounding ours keep us warm

Don't live somewhere with big rooms with high ceilings - it might look lovely but they cost loads to heat

Wash clothes/sheets only when necessary - you don't have to wash after every use, sheets don't need to be changed weekly

Hand wash lightly soiled clothes in cold water

Dry clothes on an airer instead of tumble drying (doesn't have to be outside, we don't have a garden but put an airer in the bathroom)

Read books/play board games instead of watching TV/using gadgets

Don't eat hot meals every day, have cold meals sometimes eg salad/sandwiches

Drink cold drinks instead of hot, we have cold brew coffee

Plan ahead when defrosting frozen foods, so you can defrost in the fridge instead of microwaving

Thanks for the tips everybody... Very useful indeed

Electricity use £5 a week that is brilliant well done

Get a slow cooker, preferably a large one to batch cook very cheaply - they are v cheap to run and transform cheap cuts of meat.

Have the electricity meter checked it maybe faulty, you seem to be paying a lot of money.

We pay 76 DD a month. We've been using between 40-60 so have now got 176 in credit. We are with a seemingly good energy provider and not one of the big 6.

I thought it was abit of a myth do turn off at plug if already off at standby? I mean it doesn't make 'that' much difference? Or am I wrong? I understand u are trying to save anywherepossible I'm just wondering for myself thanks x

It oisnt a myth, or wasn't at least.
There was a time that appliances used 10watts+ per hour in standby, doesn't aoiund much but if you have a lot of things like TVs, monitors, stereos etc. it can soon moiunt up.

Nowadays thoiugh manufacturers largely ensure their products use less than .5 of a watt per hour whilst in standby.

Use shorter, cooler cycles on the washing machine.

77 electric a month seems a lot. We pay £60 for both, sometimes £80 in winter and I pay little attention to turning things off at the wall etc.

Get a smart thermostat such as Nest. Costs a fair bit upfront but makes your heating super efficient. We have got our money back in a year. We only pay £67 a month for gas and electric for a five bed house and I'm at home all day every day heating it all.

I wouldn't recommend switching a radiator off totally. My parents did, radiator was on a north wall and froze, resolving in a burst radiator, so lots of expense and couldn't run heating!

In the summer it was £46 odd pound per month... we were paying £69 per month and were in credit .... now it's increased to £77 per month but currently in credit but I think it may be more this month and next month cos of the winter having heating on etc

We have a boiler guy coming out tomorrow because two radiators in our lounge don't heat up that much and one radiator don't even come on when though we have taken air out of all radiators

I think we have heating on longer for last few weeks in order to heat up house cos of the problems with our radiators

See what he says tomorrow

Make a flask of coffee in the morning to drink throughout the day. Thermos flasks do keep warm for 24 hours.

Delilah - what was involved in fitting nest? Do you need a modern boiler?

Sadly the prediction was right and the first small energy supplier has go e bust - GB energy. Apparently credit balances will be protected.

Keep an eye on usage and don't build credit ( or debit) whoever you use.

I got a wireless thermostat. It means I programme all the days of the week different

The thermostat can come in the lounge with me I shut the door and the temperature in the lounge will get to 18° and the heating then shuts of

It used to be in the hall and it's far harder to get the hall to temperature than a lounge.

At night I take it upstairs in the bedroom, then when the heating comes on in the bedroom again it's the correct temperature where we are not in the hall.

Thank you everybody

That wireless thermometer sounds good.

I would love to have something like that. How much did it cost?

We have an economy 7 system so for those who have not got it the rate for electricity is cheaper at night between a certain time than the day meter.

So I tried to put washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher on after 11 in order to reduce my bill however after two months of doing this I doing the meter was giving the same readings so it never made any difference whatsoever but that is prob because the appliances were not put on every night. The washing machine and tumble dryer was used twice a week and possible a third time. The dishwasher was used three times a week.