A MUM who spends less than £100 on bills each month for her family-of-four has revealed her top tips for keeping costs down.
Lyn Brayshaw relies on eco-friendly tricks to keep her Southampton home’s water and electricity usage to as low as possible.
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The family spend just 49p on water each day for a monthly bill of just £16.
Lyn says by using water butts they are able have a surplus on standby which reduces bills and water waste, the Daily Echo reports.
Household members will fill containers from the butts and then use them to flush the toilet and water the garden.
With this process, when their water was cut off last year, they were able to keep flushing the toilet.
The savings-savvy mum will encourage her family to take short showers and put a plug in the bath so they can reuse the water.
She recommends homeowners with a downpipe catch their own water to save money.
To lower energy consumption, Lyn says it’s important to air dry clothes in the warmest place in your house.
She said: “Heat rises so the warmest place to dry is somewhere like the top of the stairs, or in the summer the heart of your house.”
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Lyn has done away with her freezer which can take up about seven percent of your total energy bill.
She said: “We had a freezer but we’re only 10 minutes away from the nearest shop, so we can go there if we’re desperate for something.
“Plus, we can buy freezer food and keep it in the fridge for a day.”
The family also made a move to do away with gas, with Lyn explaining it made a huge difference to their overall spending.
Lyn’s top five tips to lower bills:
- Air dry clothes
- Stop using freezers
- Collect water in water butts
- Don’t use gas
- Work out how much Use a taxi instead of driving or hire a bike
She said: “We spend £51 a month on electricity now after cutting out gas.
“Now, we have an air source heat pump which is efficient and it works like a reverse fridge.
“I used to hate seeing the steam and pollution, so we cut it out and this is much more effective.
“It’s mad that in our country we still build houses with has.
When it comes to getting about, Lyn urges people to use taxis or hire a bike instead.
She worked out that after factoring in insurance, MOT, petrol and tax, it can be a lot cheaper in the long run to do without.
Lyn added: “About two thirds of people have access to a car. You are polluting the air and the planet, especially when you sit in traffic with your engine on.”
