With the new year under way and the energy price cap going up, many households are taking stock of their household expenses to see where they can make savings. Unsurprisingly, one area where people are looking to save is utility bills.
Here are some actionable, effective ways to help you keep your utility costs – and energy bills – down in 2024 and beyond.
Do a quick review of 2023’s bills
A great way to get off on the right foot is by looking back on past spending. Take a look at past statements to better understand how much energy you’re using and when, and see if you can spot any patterns.
By analysing how you use energy, the steps you need to take to save more become clearer.
If you have a smart meter, keeping track of your energy usage is even simpler, thanks to near-real-time updates and your usage shown in pounds and pence.
Make new energy-saving habits
When carried out consistently, even the smallest change can have great results over time:
- Illuminate your home with energy-efficient lighting
Old, incandescent bulbs not only use more energy than modern LEDs, but they last for far less time, too. Meaning not only will you save money on your energy every day by swapping traditional bulbs out for modern, energy-saving lighting, but you’ll also save money on the outlay for new bulbs.
In fact, LEDs can last up to 25 times longer than their old-fashioned counterparts, as well as use about 75% less energy.
- Unplug unused electronics
We’ve all done it – left the TV on standby overnight, or closed the laptop for several days in a row, instead of switching it off. But as long as they’re still plugged in with the mains switch on, they’re still using energy, even while you’re technically not using them.
Make sure you switch electrical appliances off by the mains when not in use, particularly at night or when you go on holiday. All those hours of saved energy will add up to money well-saved, too.
- Get a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats are programmable thermostats that you can control over Wi-Fi and incorporate into your smart home. They allow you to check your heating habits, control the temperatures of separate rooms in your home, and even control the heating of your home while you’re out and about.
Check out EDF Energy’s ‘smart thermostat all you need to know’ article to find out more about them, and how they can make your life simpler.
- Insulate your home
The more heat that escapes your home, the harder your heating system has to work to bring it back to a comfortable temperature. And the harder your heating system has to work, the more energy it’s using – and therefore, the more you’re paying.
Make sure heat stays in and cold air stays out by draught-proofing your home, upgrading old single-glazed windows to double-glazed, and make sure your loft is properly insulated so heat doesn’t escape through the top of your home. The Energy Saving Trust has some great advice on draught-proofing to make your home more energy-efficient.
- Educate and involve the household
Make sure the whole family is on board with upping your household’s energy-saving game. Remind everyone to switch things off at the mains at the end of the day and turn the lights off when not in the room.
Switch energy providers
Some energy providers offer better rates than others, and yours might not be working hard enough for you.
For example, Utility Warehouse (UW) offer great discounts on your household bills – including energy.
Their recently-launched three-service ‘Fixed Saver 11’ tariff is the cheapest on the market. And with the customer-exclusive UW Cashback Card, you can earn cashback that comes straight off your monthly bill, every time you shop with it at participating retailers.
Doing even just one or two of the following might not feel like doing much at first, but over time the savings will stack up. And if you do all of these, the stack will be higher. Which of these tips will you start doing first?
