Why not save your hard earned money for something better spent on you? In the last few years you’d be forgiven for thinking you were under siege from energy suppliers with constant price hikes meaning average bills have steadily crept up to £105 a month.
This culminated last year with a record number of rises, and the consistency of them shows no sign of relenting. To add insult to injury, the service from many of these suppliers has been nothing to shout about… apart from in frustration that is.
With energy being our third biggest bill after the mortgage and the cumulative weekly shop, 50connect have put together a countdown of the quickest and easiest fixes to prevent yours reaching the highs that the energy providers would love, and save your hard earned money for something better spent on you.
Off not standby
Did you know that appliances left on standby could add up to £85 a year to your bills?
Choosing the Off button instead of the Standby on your TVs, music systems and other devices where possible, can mean keeping hold of a healthy and welcome little sum for your bank balance’s bottom line.
Check for draughts
You may not feel a draught but its worth checking the doors, windows, floors, skirting boards and if you have one, the chimney in your home for them. You may well be surprised.
Wasted energy through draughts could represent a full £35 on your annual bills and can be spotted simply by dangling a tissue on the area in question – if it moves it looks like you’re letting heat out, allowing cold air in and have a problem.
However this can easily be resolved with a trip to your local DIY store who likely stock a wide range of inexpensive draught exclusion products.
Look at your insulation
We all know hot air rises and unfortunately if your loft is inadequately insulated or not insulated at all this could result in a significant amount of wasted energy and money through your roof. Ideally, at least 270 mm of insulation should be present in your loft – having it could be worth up to £150 on your bills.
Another place heat could be escaping is through the walls and as such cavity insulation could be well worth considering. The insulation is placed in the gaps between the home’s two outer layers of brick to prevent air flow and could again prevent up to £150 in added annual expenditure.
There are often government initiatives that really reduce the cost of insulation so it may be an idea to do a web search to see what’s available.
Take control of your heating
As you may be aware an old, inefficient boiler might also rack up your energy outgoings. While they’re certainly not cheap, it may be worth taking a look at replacing an outdated one as a long-term investment.
Once again, as for insulation, government incentives that could help are often available and deals from energy suppliers are also often there to be had.
If the boiler’s fine, making sure that your timer is set up correctly to turn your heating and hot water on only when you need it would also be a good idea.
One thing you might not be aware of is that reducing the temperature of your home by a single degree could also save you up to £75 a year.
Thermostatic valves on radiators allow you to control the heat in each room so if you feel it won’t make much of a difference, it could be a point to turn them down a notch.
Switch standard to fixed tariff
If you’re like the majority of the population you’re likely on your supplier’s Standard or default tariff and if so the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem, says you’re paying an average of £300 over the cheapest tariffs on the market.
Remaining on one will mean you’ll continue being hit with heavy price rises every time a supplier chooses – which is often at least twice a year.
It may not have even been on your radar but by far the quickest and easiest way to put the power of your bills in your hands and make the best savings is to use a price comparison site and switch to a much better value one or two year fixed-term tariff on monthly direct debit.
For example in an entirely FREE service, the leading specialists in energy switching – energyhelpline, allow you to compare all the best deals from the biggest brands along with service ratings via the guidance of friendly expert phone advisors or online and you can actually switch and lock in savings of up to £439 a year in minutes.
In fact as everything from A-Z of your switch is handled for you, it’s all more simple and hassle-free than you would have ever thought.
You won’t need to fill out any paperwork or contact your supplier as this will be done for you and contrary to popular belief there’s no interruption to supply, no one will need to visit your home and there’s no need to change any meters, wires or pipes.
Mark Todd, Co-founder of energyhelpline says “Suppliers often prey on consumers’ lack of awareness of the ease and speed with which it’s possible to escape their supplier’s expensive Standard tariffs and save hundreds of pounds a year by switching to a fixed term one.” However this is changing fast. Last year saw a 5% rise to a record 5.8 m smart switchers transferring to a better deal…why not join them.
(Article source: 50 Connect)
