WITH energy bills soaring for millions of households, looking for ways to cut back on your costs has never been more important.
The average household is expected to pay £2,500 a year after the government introduced the energy price guarantee.
This will go up to £3,000 a year from next April when the guarantee is extended.
So families will be looking for ways to cut back on extra costs without having to make drastic changes.
Sunny Solanky, an engineer for British Gas, has revealed three little things you can do to slash your costs – it could save you £145 too.
He told The Daily Express: “It’s the little things that we can all do that can make a big difference.”
Draught excluders
You can get one of these little gizmos for as little as £7 from Dunelm.
You simply place them in the gap between the floor and the bottom of any door to stop cold air flowing through and hot air going out.
Sunny estimated making this simple change could save you around £100 a year on your bills.
Use cardboard on your radiators
Try wrapping a big piece of cardboard in foil and putting it behind your radiators.
This helps prevent heat from escaping through the walls.
Sunny estimated this could save you around £25 a year.
If you’ve got a bit more money in the budget, you can try buying radiator reflector foil which will do a better job.
You can buy it from rolls from Screwfix for £7.99.
Invest in pipe insulation
Frozen pipes can be a nightmare to fix if they burst.
Instead, buy insulation which will stop them from getting too cold.
It could save you around £20 a year on your bills too.
What other bill help can I get?
The government announced in its Autumn Statement that millions on benefits and Universal Credit will receive an extra one-off £900.
Eight million households have also already received cost of living payments worth up to £650.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also said pensioners will be getting a £300 one-off payment.
The current “Pensioner Cost of Living payment” is being handed out to millions on a low income.
You qualify under the current rules if you normally get the Winter Fuel Payment.
The £300 cost of living payment is paid on top of the other winter support.
You’ll need to be:
- born on or before 25 September 1956
- have lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 in what is known as the “qualifying week”
Plus, struggling families are eligible for the Warm House Discount this winter.
Households in England and Wales don’t need to apply to get the cash and they’ll automatically qualify if they are receiving certain benefits.
You can read more about who’s eligible here.
There are also plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
- British Gas Energy Trust
- Bulb energy fund
- EDF’s energy customer support fund
- E.on’s energy fund
- Npower’s energy fund
- Ovo’s debt and energy assistance
- Scottish Power’s hardship fund
Plus, millions of households are currently receiving support through the £400 energy rebate, which has been split into six monthly instalments.
We explain how paying for your bill in a different way might impact how you’re issued the £400 rebate here.
On top of that, you might be able to get help through the Household Support Fund, which is being issued by councils.
Plus, thousands of households are set for a £25 payout after UK weather hit sub-zero temperatures.
