Energy bills shot up yesterday - but there are steps you can take to keep your bills as low as possible. The Mirror reports that the Energy Price Guarantee freezes bills for the typical household at £2,500 a year for two years - but this isn’t a total cap on how much you could pay.
However, small steps will give you a fighting chance of keeping as much of your cash as possible. Firstly, turn your appliances off standby. When a device is left on standby, it still receives power from your electricity socket to allow it to continue running at a low level.
Being more conscious of energy use is also handy. For example, turning your thermostat down by 1C could save you around 10% on your energy bill, while washing your clothes at 30C uses around 40% less energy.
You can also turn your boiler down. Boilers run best at around 55C if possible, but many actually run at higher temperatures. Harland Guscott, a boiler engineer and owner of Guscott Heating Services, said that for every 10C cut you make, your gas bill falls by 6% to 8%.
There are lots of cheap and effective ways to insulate your home, including making a draught excluder by stuffing an old jumper with socks and stitching it into a long snake shape. This can be used under a door that lets air in.
It's important to do regular meter readings, while The Priority Services Register is a free support service for people in vulnerable situations. The help you could get includes advance notice of planned power cuts, priority support in an emergency and help with reading your meter.
Looking out for cost of living payments is advisable while there are certain energy schemes that provide extra bill support to vulnerable households. Ask about them.
If you're really struggling, talk to your energy provider - ideally before you fall behind on a payment. Not paying your gas or electricity bill can have serious repercussions, including damaging your credit score, court action and visits from debt collectors.
In addition, all the big energy firms have charitable hardship funds and grants that you may be eligible for if you’re struggling.
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