Government officials have urgently offered suggestions on how UK homeowners can reduce their energy bills by £350.
In the hopes of realising significant savings, the government has launched the It All Adds Up campaign.
The £18 million campaign launched on December 17, 2022, explains simple steps to reduce your gas and electricity bill.
Grant Shapps, the Secretary of Business and Energy, said:
“No one is immune to rising energy bills this winter, so it’s in everyone’s interest to use every trick in the book to use less energy while keeping homes warm and staying safe.
“For very little or no cost, you can save pounds.
“It all adds up, so I urge people to take note of the advice in this new campaign and follow the easy steps to cut your fuel bills.”
According to the government, “simple measures” might result in “significant financial savings” without sacrificing comfort or endangering people’s health.
Below is some of the guidance the government is issuing.
Turning the combi boiler flow temperature to 60°C could save up to £100 a year
Government guidelines suggest lowering the combi boiler flow temperature to 60°C.
According to a recent study from the Salford Energy House, decreasing your heat flow temperature can reduce your gas consumption by up to 12% and 9%, respectively, by reducing the temperatures from 80°C to 60°C.
The temperature at which the water that your boiler provides to your radiators is referred to as the flow temperature.
Turning down radiators in rooms you aren’t using can save up to £70 a year
The government is advising UK households to lower the heat in unused rooms.
The government recommends that homeowners avoid turning off the radiators completely in unused rooms of their homes.
This is because raising the temperature once more will require more effort from your boiler.
Those with pre-existing medical issues, children under the age of 5, and people over 65 are more susceptible to suffering from illness due to cold temperatures.
To safeguard health while preserving comfort, make sure you are warm enough and have an indoor temperature of at least 18°C.
Turning appliances off at the socket could save up to £70 a year
High-energy extracting appliances like laptops, televisions, smartphones and gaming consoles frequently drain electricity even when they are hooked to the power and not in use.
You can make sure they aren’t using any power on standby by switching them off at the plug.
Using your tumble dryer less could save you £70 a year
The tumble dryer is one of the most energy-extracting home gadgets most households certainly lose.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that using a tumble dryer cost around 20.33kWh of power per hour in 2021.
In 2022, inflation and rising energy bills mean this figure will be significantly higher.
Energy bill costs will drastically reduce if this appliance is used less.
A money-saving alternative accessible to the majority of households is a drying rack available from many retailers including Argos and Amazon.
Keep your curtains closed
According to the government, you should always close your curtains and blinds at night.
Aside from lowering heating expenses, closing curtains and blinds may help keep warm air from leaking through windows.
By restricting the flow of air between the warm and cold areas of a space, curtains aid in heat retention.
Also, double-glazed windows will allow heat to escape, but heavy curtains will act as a barrier, preventing air from flowing from the main room to the window.
Amazon offers energy-efficient curtains for as little as £21.99 in a variety of colours to match all interior designs of the home.
Monitor your energy usage
There are applications like Utrack by Uswitch, which is free and lets you track your hourly energy consumption over days, weeks, months, or years if you have a smart metre.
This can assist you in identifying the most effective strategies to lower use and lower your energy costs in a secure and controllable manner.
As of October 2022, the average prices for gas and electricity as follows (according to Ofgem).
- 10.33p per kWh for gas
- 28.49p per day for gas standing charge (£103.98 per year)
- 34.04p per kWh for electricity
- 46.36p per day for electricity standing charge (£169.21 per year)
Therefore, you can use a smart meter or another form of measurement, to see if this approach saves you money in the longer term.
Although energy bills are at an all-time high, fortunately, there are ways to reduce costs and the government is now taking steps to help households.
Loading ...