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

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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

An eye opener was looking at the gas meter before and after a 10 minute shower- it appeared to go up by the same amount as one hour's heating the house! So now I have shorter showers with this in mind.

We have a smart meter and it has helped me keep an eye on things. Our house is quite small and we tend to all sit downstairs together so generate a lot of heat!! When I switch off the oven, I open the oven door to let all the heat circulate. We generally have the thermostat on between 17-18.

I like to keep the heating on very low just to take chill off but not till after lunch as I always air the house with windows open in mornings. Unless its completely frozen outside of course. Then its layers, and blankets to snuggle down with.
I dont want my home to be freezing and understand I have to pay for that but I also want the best deal I can have. I dont think green` energy is possible unless you live in a hot climate and sonar panel work.

I have thick door curtains over both main doors in my home and make sure I have draught strips around all internal doors too. It has made a huge difference to my heating bills and feels much more cosy

We have blankets on all the sofas, and I wear slippers and often a hat indoors.

Having my teenagers at home, I am trying to get them them to add layers rather than turning the heating on during the day.

I have energy saving bulbs throughout the house & also a smart meter which really does encourage you to save energy when you realise how much you use. I'm now more aware about switching off lights when leaving a room & switching off all electrics that aren't in use. I also save water my only washing up once a day, it's a bit frustrating as I'm a clean freak & hate clutter but if it helps the environment then I can put up with it. I save my washing up water in the summer, as long as it's not greasy, & use it to spray my plants as it gets rid of greenfly etc without harming the environment or killing bees & butterflies

Wrap foil on a large piece of cardboard big enough to put behind your radiators to reflect heat back into your rooms, which means you can probably turn down your thermostats to save money on your heating bills. Or you can buy them in rolls from Diy stores.

I heat up wheat bags in the microwave for us all to cuddle whilst we watch TV in the evening.

Shower with a friend, your'e welcome

In normal times dh and I wear extra layers during the day, with a blanket if we are sitting. The heating is set to come on just before the boys get home however, at the moment, we are all home all day. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the boys to work in a cold environment so we have accepted that our bills will be a bit higher this year and are paying a bit extra to offset this. I am try to do less laundry as they don’t need to change clothes so often if they are not going out and I’m being mindful of not using the oven unnecessarily but it’s a difficult year.

Use your slow cooker, it saves energy, smells delicious and makes life that little bit easier when trying to wfh & homeschool the kids

We try to turn the heating down when its on, it doesn't need to be many degrees but it does make a difference to your consumption.

Wear socks in bed to keep your feet warm! Keep curtains closed to avoid heat loss.

I get wrapped up warm every day, keep doors closed, shut the curtains as soon as the sun starts going down and keep a close eye on the thermostat.

We have solar panels, loft, wall and underfloor insulation and a new boiler which all help towards keeping the bills low. These were all part of schemes which were gratefully received and would fully recommend anyone taking up.
As others have said, blankets are super and I love my electric blanket which I use under my bed covers - That takes about a penny an hour to run if I were to run it for a complete hour that is.

We love to snuggle under cosy covers to keep warm x

cosy socks , hot water bottles and fluffy blankets

Just keep the windows shut - simples!

we have a smart meter, which does make you realise how much energy you are using. for me, heat holders sock and fingerless gloves have made all the difference, I was getting so cold whilst working from home.

Switch off appliances, ie don't leave on standby, dial the heating thermostat down and have cold showers - amazingly good for you and lift your spirits!

Great believer in layers of clothing and turning stuff off!

Batch cooking saves money and time. By cooking a few meals together you are using the oven for a fraction of the time.

We go for layers but I've had the heating on while we've been homeschooling since Christmas - my teenager spends so long on screen that he just gets too cold otherwise.

We live in a really old house with dodgy oil heating. I'm afraid in our house we have to go for layer, after layer, after layer - and then a blanket on top when we're sitting and it's cold during the day - can't afford to keep the heating on full time! We do have to light the wood burner when it gets really cold - but try not to do it too often as know it's bad for the environment.

Layers and blankets. And a warm cat on your lap.