The cost of living is increasing with many people noticing the likes of their shopping and energy bills soaring.
Energy bills, as forecasted by experts, are expected to rise again with the cap set to soar close to £3,600 per year from October - before jumping again in January.
While Ofgem warns to take energy predictions with caution, PA news agency reports that the 'observation window' - when Ofgem tracks the market to decide what the cap will be - closed on Thursday and so these estimates are more certain than ever.
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Because this cost is worrying a lot of people, experts have been handing out as much advice as they can in a bid to keep the costs low. It comes as a study commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change has suggested a number of changes people can make to save power such as turning the heating on in November rather than October.
According to Birmingham Live, the research also found a two-person household installing a water-efficient shower and using it twice a day (once per person) was found to save considerable energy. A low-flow shower saves around 28 litres of hot water, using half the water of a normal shower head, and can reduce the energy spent on household hot water by a quarter (excluding hot water used in washing machines and dishwashers, which are usually cold-fill, heated by elements in the appliance).
Specific advice was also given on the number of minutes to spend in the shower, and how many times to take a shower every week.
The advice suggests:
- Take two showers a week lasting seven minutes each instead of two baths
- Alternatively, if you want or need to shower more often, then take four showers a week lasting five minutes, not seven minutes
An easy way to keep track of how long you spend in the shower is to set a timer and each time try and see if you can cut this down - even if it is just a few seconds. If however, you have longer or thicker hair that means you are spending more time under the water, experts say you should switch off the water whilst applying shampoo and any other hair products, then turn back on the water again.
Even if you don't have long hair, you can also do this while you apply shower gel or soap to your body. This is called a 'navy shower' and can reduce the time the shower is running from eight minutes to just one and a half minutes.
Astonishingly, turning off the water while applying shampoo or body wash can save up to 150 gallons of water a month, experts have calculated. And it will also cut down on hot water usage which will reduce gas or electricity bills in the home. Some people also put buckets or bowls in their shower to collect water which they then use for their plants.
Another cost-saving measure to try, if you have a fitness membership, is to use the showers at the gym whenever you visit, which will mean you don't need to get in the shower once you're back home.
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