10 Awesome Ways To Cut Your Energy Bills

Do you dread seeing the utility bills land on your doormat? If the bills for gas and electricity are starting to get you down it must be high time to do something about it. The information and media reports surrounding energy prices can be confusing. It is also true that the future of energy pricing is tied in with the political situation. Will prices rise, fall or be capped at a certain level? No-one knows the answers to these questions and this can make householders nervous.

You also have to consider the issue of the environmental impact. Which are the most environmentally friendly ways to heat and light your home? Families who are concerned about their carbon footprint need accurate and easily accessible information. Here are 10 top tips for cutting down your power consumption so that you can save money and protect the environment at the same time...

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1. Switch your utility supplier

You must have read the guidance that says that the most effective way to reduce your energy bills is to switch supplier. This sounds like a lot of hassle. Who has got the time to be doing this all the time? It seems that not many people have because many of us just stick with the same supplier for years and years. However, if you are serious about saving some money on utility bills you are going to have to bite the bullet. You can get a lot of the hard work done for you on price comparison websites so you only have to enter all your details once.

2. Set up a direct debit

Owing money to utility providers is not a good strategy. If you are in that situation at the moment you can look into cashfloat payday loans to help you deal with the situation. Then you can set up a direct debit which has two advantages. Firstly, you will save yourself some money because companies often offer a discount when you agree to pay by direct debit.  Secondly, there will be no more unexpected bills for you to worry about. You will know exactly what you have to pay out every month and you can budget accordingly.

3. Install a smart meter in your home

Your provider will probably be keen to install a smart meter which will digitally send meter readings to the energy supplier. At least you will know that your energy bills will be accurate. No-one wants to pay for something that they have not used. They can be a very useful tool to help you understand your energy usage and take steps to reduce it. Use it to your advantage.

4. Make the most of what nature is giving you!

Nature is giving you natural light so make the most of it! Pull back the curtains and let the light shine through. Decorate your house in light colours and place some mirrors in strategic places so that light bounces around your home. As the light move around the building, and lights different rooms, move around yourself. Use one room in the morning and another in the evening to take advantage of the natural light. This will stop you reaching for the light switch all the time!

5. Cardigans and blankets save you a fortune

We’d all like to walk around in strappy tops and flip-flops in the middle of winter but we have to accept that this sort of behaviour comes at a price! A pair of slippers (or very thick socks), a cardigan and a few fluffy blankets can allow you to drop the thermostat by a couple of degrees and this can save tens of pounds over the course of the winter.

6. Divide your house unto zones

Do you really have to heat all the house all the time? For example, if you spend all day downstairs, you could turn down the bedroom radiators during the day. All you have to do is turn them back up again in the evenings. If you work from home in one room, get a little fan heater, it will cost very little to heat just the room that you are using.

7. Develop good habits

This is a good one to get the kids involved with. Make it a house rule that you turn off the lights in a room when you leave it. You could even give them some little rewards for doing so. Introduce the same rule for TVs and this means turning them off at the plug and not leaving them on standby.

8. Use the radiators

Radiators are not just for heating a room. Hanging clothes on hangers and placing them near radiators saves a fortune on tumble drier costs and cuts down on ironing. Many modern fabrics take just a couple of hours to dry.

9. Change how you cook

Batch cooking is an excellent way to save money on heating up the oven for multiple meals. If you need to heat up the oven, try to use it for a few things. For example, if you are cooking a casserole in the oven, bake some potatoes in there at the same time instead of using more gas/electricity on the hob to boil them. When you do need to boil up some vegetables you can cut down on power consumption by using a stacking steamer. Don’t forget to put a lid on it.

10. Shut the curtains

Houses lose loads of heat out of the windows. Once it gets dark, you can keep a lot of heat inside the room by closing the curtains. The thicker the curtains, the more heat they will keep in. If your doors have large areas of glazing, you may want to draw curtains across these as well, especially when it is very cold.

The important point is that you have to get all the family on board with your money-saving routine. With just a few changes, you could soon have some spare cash to spend on treats.