A woman claims to have halved her electricity bill by using a series of cheaper alternatives, including charging her phone on a solar panel.
Kerry Collinson, 51, decided to ruthlessly cut back on her gas and electric bill as she saw prices soar. She said she "didn't want to put my hard earned money into the pockets of greedy people at the energy companies". After making some changes, Kerry has also slashed her gas bill by two thirds.
She said she now only pays £10 a month after the £60 government grant.
READ MORE: DWP full list of money being paid out at Christmas 2022 to help with bills and food
Kerry, who works as a cleaner in Somerset, said she has not turned on her central heating since February, and says she only spends £1.20 a week cooking, after swapping out her induction hob for a camping stove. Despite the cut backs, Kerry says her "quality of life is just as good", and she is "saving a fortune".
She said: "I don't want to cut back on the nice things I've worked hard for my whole life so greedy energy firms can put it in their pockets. I'm very happy, I've still got what I need and I haven't had to give up the things I love to do like going out for dinner or Netflix.
"I've more than halved my energy bill, even from before the price rise. We never put the central heating on, we got a log burner instead, and we use electric blankets when we're cold.
"We never turn on the oven, and we stopped using the induction hob because I could see the smart meter literally spin every time I used it. So now I have two camping stoves and use an air fryer or a microwave to cook, it costs me £1.20 for the whole week whereas before it would cost 70p per meal."
She also never turns her lights on in the evening, and instead relies on solar lights that charge through the day, her log burner, and some chargeable tea lights from Amazon.
She has also stopped used the tumble drier, and uses a transportable solar panel to charge her phone. She said: "We started buying solar stuff in the summer because we had a feeling that we should be prepared.
"We don't use the oven anymore, and generally day to day we make sure all our lights are off and make sure everything's unplugged when we don't need it."
At it's highest, Kerry's bill for her three-bedroom bungalow was £230, whereas she says it's now only £95. She said getting a log burner was "the best thing she's ever done" and that many others are turning to that solution.
She's decided she'll turn on the oven for Christmas Day, using it to cook her Turkey, potatoes, plus other cuts of meat for the days to come. Everything else will be cooked on the campfire stoves and in her air fryer.
However, gas canister stoves are designed to be used outdoors and should only be used in a well-ventilated space, and using them otherwise could be extremely dangerous. Earlier this year, chief fire officer Rob Barber said: "We are expecting accidental house fires will increase this year as people make changes to their behaviour and the way they heat their homes.
"We have a number of concerns which range from people huddling too close to open fires, electrical heaters being used to dry clothes, individuals throwing anything that will burn into wood burners and even camping stoves being used indoors."
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