Share your tips and tricks for saving on your energy bill with ESB Energy - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

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During the winter months we tend to use more heating, hot water and electricity to combat the cold and the dark. This year, with many of us working from home the energy bills are likely to be higher than ever. Luckily there are many simple changes we can make as a family to reduce our energy bill, and with this in mind, ESB Energy would like to hear your tips for cutting down on your energy usage.

Here’s what ESB Energy has to say: “We know that as a parent you have enough to worry about. At ESB Energy we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, we have a 4.5 rating on Trustpilot, so with us you can be assured that your energy is being taken care of. We also offer 100% renewable electricity on all our green tariffs – these are our cheapest tariffs –so that you can save money, while doing your bit for the planet. What's also great is as soon as you become an ESB Energy customer, for every friend you bring over with you, we’ll give you both £50 bill credit each. That’s £50 for you and £50 for your friend. You can bring as many friends with you as you want. Bring two friends over, we’ll give you £100. Bring ten and you could get £500 off your bill! Another top tip to save money on your energy bills, by switching to ESB Energy.

Switch to us today to start saving on your energy and we’ll automatically enter you into a draw to win a £1000 Amazon voucher”

Do you take the old school approach and layer up with thermals and a wooly jumper instead of turning the heating up? Have you challenged your family to swap baths for showers or set forfeits when people leave the lights on? Or perhaps installing a smart meter has made all the difference in your household.

Whatever your tip for saving on the energy bill is, all who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

If you’re considering switching energy provider you can request call back from ESB Energy to find out more here. Plus, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £1000 Amazon voucher if you switch to ESB Energy.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

Keep the curtains closed in rooms your not using to prevent the heat from dissipating put the window, even if they are double glazed heat escapes. And use a colour catcher to was a large load of mixed colours instead if smaller loads

we tend to set the heating at a reasonable temperature, then put something on if one of us gets cooler, I usually end up throwing layers off with my hot flushes anyway!!!

Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors and if you turn down your main thermostat by 1 degree, you can save on your energy bill and make sure your home is still warm enough during cold weather. You can also draught-proof windows and doors and block cracks in floors and skirting boards to save more heat escaping and draughts.

Wearing slippers and extra layers helps lots.

Leaving the oven door open after cooking.

Lots of snuggly blankets for on the sofa.

We use blankets and hot water bottles to avoid putting the heating on too much. Also wear lots of layers - I'm currently benefiting from a fleece and fluffy socks!

We also avoid leaving devices on standby and only boil as much water as we need. Buy energy-efficient devices when we have to replace stuff.

I wear a thermal vest throughout the winter, some even warmer ones when it is really cold. I have fur lined slippers to keep my feet warm and turn down the thermostat down one or two degrees. I have a blanket over my knees while watching tv

I swear by the use of hot water bottles and layers. I grew up in a house where my dad would always say wear jumper if you said you were cold and I do that now with my children. It takes me a while to warm up when I've been out so a hot water bottle does the trick and we have a couple of blankets ready on the sofa in the living room. We all wear slippers and thick socks around the house too.

I wear thermals and several layers. If I get cold, that's the signal for me to stop working at my desk for a while and go and do some cooking or cleaning or something which requires me to move.

My eco-warrior children go around the house switching lights off and switching sockets to the off position.
We only boil water for one cuppa at a time, and if using the oven I/my partner batch cook for a couple of days or for the freezer.

Solar panels and a furry onesie!

I bought a thermal blind for my kitchen that doesn't have radiator. It really seems to have made a difference so obviously heat must have been escaping!

We put heat reflective foil behind the radiators, it cannot be seen and bounces more heat back into the room instead of it absorbing into the walls. I was sceptical but the rooms we have done it in are noticeably warmer. Also a big fan of a hot water bottle and snuggly socks!

Instead of using my dryer I use my washing line to dry washing, even on the coldest days as long as it is not raining it is surprising how quickly the washing dries and nothing smells like sheets that have been dried outside.

We always put extra layers on if we feel cold and wear our dressing gowns in the evening to avoid having the heating on too much.

With current circumstances and us being at home more keeping the energy usage down us very important. So I have taught the children about why we need not just to save on cost but for the environment. My son Stanley is now are energy reducing agent. His secret mission is to monitor our usage and to remind us. He reminds us to turn the lights off, put lids on pans and switch off things when they are not being used. It's also part of his cubs badge, while doing maths and teaching him good habits for the future.

Thermal vests, and lower the thermostat my 1 degree and put it on a timer.

Trying to be as eco-friendly as possible means I’m always looking for ways to save energy and like others I only boil the water I need in the kettle, have foil behind the radiators, layer up with warm clothes, dry my washing on a clothes horse, use the water used to steam vegetables for gravy or to hard boil some eggs, etc. However the most significant change I hope to make will be to change my electric boiler (I have no mains gas) to an air source heat pump. This will mean that I hopefully get 2-3+ units of heat for each unit of electricity rather than the 1 to 1 I currently get for my heating and hot water.

Hot water bottles, layers, blankets, turn things off when they’re not in use.

When you go shopping get the child to pick a different fruit or veg to try and involve them in what you are going to make with it.

Wear more layers have lots of blankets on the sofa

Set your heating to turn off for 2 or 3 times a day for a 30 minute period. You won't notice it and you'll save at least 7 hours heating a week.

using a smart meter helps us save money

follow your kids around the house switching things off!

I've taken up sea swimming and have continued through the winter. My tolerance for the cold is really increased. DC dont feel the cold very much, so our heating is on a lot less this winter.

Wear your jumpers & warmer clothing at home.

snuggly blankets on sofa.

I have a tado which automatically switches heating off if I (well my phone) leave the house. Its also great for controlling the heating and giving the heat a boost if you need it, or turn it down if you don't.

Leave the oven door open after use so the hat comes into the room.

Close doors & use draft excluders.

DD used to go around switching power sockets off but after she turned the fridge off while we went away for 2 weeks summer holiday I disuaded her from doing this.

I spend my life nagging the children to turn the lights off, especially the bathroom one!! Also, closing the doors and switching the telly off when they leave a room and shop watching it!! I try my best to implement all these energy saving rules but tbh I am fighting a losing battle much of the time!!!

Despite working from home all day every day since last March, I have not changed my central heating settings which turn it on for 2 hours early morning, and then off until 4pm, off again at 9pm

It has been getting cold by early afternoon, but I just put a big blanket over me and I can work easily like that and keep really cosy and warm.