SHOCKING rises in electricity and gas prices mean the average household faces paying an eye-watering £3,549 a year for fuel following October’s huge energy price cap rise.
And experts predict bills could hit an unprecedented £7,700 from April next year.
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But with our help, you have the power to manage your payments.
Follow our no-nonsense guide to cutting back your consumption and getting extra cash to cover your winter bills.
8 efficiency tricks to cut costs
FROM choosing the best settings on your white goods to turning off “vampire devices” sucking up power at the plug socket, here are eight easy ways you can knock £621 off your annual energy bill.
- Check for energy efficiency settings: Many washing machines, fridges and dishwashers have eco modes which automatically save electricity. Check and set yours to save. See onehome.org.uk to get started.
SAVE: Average of £106 per year but will depend on your appliances - Slash showering time: A four-minute shower is the optimum time to get clean while saving cash too.
SAVE: £70 per year - Clean clothes cooler: Wash clothes at 30C instead of the average 40C.
SAVE: £28 per year - Draught-proof your home: This can be as simple as placing a warm rug on bare floorboards or draught-proofing an open chimney when you’re not using it.
SAVE: Minimum of £65 per year - Switch off lights: Lighting accounts for 11 to 18 per cent of the average home’s energy bill, according to the Energy Saving Trust. So switch them off to save.
SAVE: £20 per year - Don’t do things by half: Never use the dishwasher or washing machine unless it is full. Running a half-load just wastes power.
SAVE: Average of £35 per year - Switch off the stand-by mode: Turning off “vampire devices” – those which use power when not in use – is one of the single biggest savings you can make. Major energy drainers include laptops, broadband routers and smart speakers.
SAVE: £147 per year - Overhaul your appliances: Descaling the kettle means you’re not spending money heating limescale instead of water. Defrosting the freezer will help keep it cooler more cheaply.
SAVE: Up to £150 per year
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8 ways to get help paying
ELIGIBLE households will already be receiving a £326 cost-of-living payment to help with spiralling energy bills.
But more help is available. Here’s what’s on offer and how to claim.
- Energy Bills Support Scheme: Starting in October, the Government will give every household £400 off their electricity bill in monthly instalments over six months. You do not need to do anything to get the money and you won’t have to pay it back. Use a pre-payment meter? You’ll get the cash in vouchers.
- Warm Home Discount: If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria, you could qualify for a Warm Home Discount payment which is usually around £140. To find out whether you qualify, call the Warm Home Discount phone line on 0800 731 0214 between November 14, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
- Winter Fuel Payment: Paid to pensioners born on or before September 25, 1956, you’ll automatically get an annual one-off payment of between £150 and £300 – depending on your circumstances – to help cover the cost of heating in winter. It is not means-tested.
- Cold Weather Payments: Households on certain benefits will get a one-off payment to pay for extra heating costs when it’s very cold. You’ll get a payment each time the temperature drops below a specific figure for a set period of time. Find out more at www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.
- Household Support Fund: Hard-up households can get a windfall of up to £300 for essentials and bills. You will need to apply to your local council by the end of this month. Pensioners and families with young or vulnerable children will be prioritised.
- Fuel Vouchers: If you pay your energy bills by a pre-payment meter, you may be entitled to a fuel voucher. You’ll get a code sent in a letter, text message or email that you use to add credit to your gas card or electricity key. Apply to your local council or ask Citizens Advice for help applying. You can also apply if you use oil, LPG, coal or wood as your main source of heating.
- Energy Supplier Hardship Funds: If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay it off. Some firms offer up to £1,500. Ask your energy firm for details.
- Priority Services Register: If you’ve reached state pension age, you’re disabled or sick, or if your energy network considers you vulnerable, you can sign up for extra support. Call your energy supplier for details.
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‘I run around turning off plugs and even charge phone in the car’
Mum-of-two Karen Karbritz, 48, is going to great lengths to cut her family’s energy use as bills surge.
A part-time prison officer, Karen lives in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with husband, Nick, 64, a writer and their children Lara, 16, and their son Zack, seven.
The savvy mum wants to get on top of soaring costs by getting into frugal habits before winter bites.
The couple both drive electric cars as they need to drive for work, so their energy use is high.
“Having seen all the news about energy costs I was expecting my bill to rise.
“My direct debit used to be £430 a month and in my mind, it was going to rise to about £800. That was bad enough. Then I got an email saying it would have to rise to £1,200 a month and with the new price cap from October, it’s going to rise to £2,000 a month.
“It’s ridiculous.
“It’s more than the average salary and it’s more than I earn.
“So we’ve started charging our cars at the local train station where it’s free.
“We have turned the temperature of the hot water right down and we are not going to put the heating on until we absolutely have to.
“We’ll put loads of jumpers on and as much as possible we’ll all try to stay in one room so that we only have to keep that warm.
“At home, I run around like a crazy person turning everything off.
“I don’t use my hairdryer or straighteners anymore and we charge mobile phones in the car instead of at home.
“I turn everything off at the socket.
“We’re really careful to keep shower times to a minimum and I even share one with my son, to save on costs.
“I use an airfryer now instead of the oven.
“I won’t touch the tumble dryer and I’ve even started sweeping our hardwood floors so that I don’t have to use the vacuum cleaner.
“I’m trying to think of everything.”
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‘I use a smart meter to test out the cost of appliances’
WORKING mum Ami Pilkington, 29, was already frugal before the energy crisis hit, but now she’s being even more careful.
The thrifty businesswoman lives in Bristol with her fiance Sam, 35, and their baby Arthur who is 20 months old.
The couple work together converting campervans through their company Moore’s Campers.
Sam is a former heating and plumbing engineer so his knowledge combined with Ami’s money-saving drive means they are always finding new ways to trim their bills.
Ami says: “We’ve got a smart meter so I use that to test the cost of running different appliances and make sure I’m doing things the cheapest way I can.
“I have never liked waste, so before the price rises our energy bills were pretty low at £45 a month.
“I’ve managed to keep them to £65 a month by being even more careful.
“I do use the oven, but I’ll always make sure that I make some snacks like muesli bars for Arthur at the same time so that all the shelf space is put to good use.
“If I’m boiling water for pasta I’ve worked out that it’s cheaper to warm the amount I need on the hob rather than boiling a kettle.
“I’ve had a slow cooker for years and I use that to make chilli, baked potatoes and sauces.
“I’ve also looked at the manuals of my appliances to work out the most efficient way of using them.
“I’ve set my fridge to 4℃ and my freezer to -17℃.
“I use my washing machine at 30℃ as much as possible and have checked which settings are cheapest depending on the size of the laundry load.
“We keep the central heating thermostat on a constant setting of around 18 or 19℃ because it’s cheaper than letting it heat up and cool down again.
“Some people say that feels freezing but as the weather gets colder I’m quite happy to put on a hoodie and some trackies.
“I’ll make sure we never leave the telly running if we’re not in the room and I unplug everything and turn lights off that we don’t need.”
