FAMILIES could knock money off their energy bills by making a few simple changes around the house – including binning the kettle.
Households are being clobbered by soaring energy bills as a cost of living crisis hits millions of hard-up families.
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Millions saw their bills DOUBLE to an average of £1,971 from April 1 when the new price cap – which limits how much suppliers can charge customers for energy – rolled out.
As many are looking to slash their bills to beat the hikes, PlumbNation heating expert Jordan Chance said ditching your microwave and the kettle are just some of the ways you could save cash.
Speaking to the Express, Mr Chance outlined what the four most common energy questions he gets asked are – and how to fix them.
Ditch the kettle
We all love a cuppa – but you might be wondering whether its cheaper to make one using the kettle or using the gas hob.
Mr Chance said ditching the kettle is actually best for your bills.
Although kettles usually take fewer units of energy to heat water, the cost of electricity cancels out these savings.
“Gas costs are typically less than those of electricity and so it is technically cheaper to boil your water on a gas hob, despite the additional units of energy it takes to heat,” Mr Chance said.
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Make sure to only heat the water you need – otherwise you’re wasting energy and driving up your bills.
Get rid of your microwave
Like with kettles, microwaves are usually cheaper to use to heat up small meals like soup compared to using the hob.
But because electricity costs more than gas currently, these savings are wiped out.
Therefore, Mr Chance said the cheapest option is to heat your soup on a gas hob instead.
He added that another way to save money is to turn microwaves off at the plug after every use.
This is because they are seen as “vampire” appliances – draining energy unnecessarily, even when not in use.
Unplug your phone charger
It’s easy to leave your phone charger on after use.
But it could be adding up to as much as £80 a year onto your bills, Mr Chance said.
To avoid this extra expense, remember to switch off the charger at the plug and take it out.
Do a 30 degree wash
Many families set their washing machine cycles to 40 degrees – especially if you need to get pesky stains out of the kids clothes.
But Mr Chance said turning your load down to 30 degrees will still wash your laundry well – and lower your bills.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, you could shave £12 a year off your bills from switching from a 40 degree wash to a 30 degree one instead.
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