By Linda Howard

Copyright dailyrecord

From October 1, the UK’s energy price cap will rise by more than two per cent to £1,755, adding an extra £35 on to annual gas and electricity bills for those on the standard tariff. Ofgem changes the cap, which is largely based on the cost of energy on wholesale markets. However, this two per cent increase is partly down to the higher cost of transporting energy and the additional support measures that have been implemented for consumers. The price cap limits the rates charged for each unit of energy and standing charges, so your actual bill will still depend on your household’s energy usage. That means households that pay for their energy bills by direct debit and are on standard or variable tariffs will be capped at £1,755 a year. If you’re a prepay energy customer, the price you pay will be capped at £1,707 a year, and those who pay when they receive their bill will be capped at £1,890 a year. Liz Hunter, Commercial Director at online comparison site MoneyExpert, has put together some useful, realistic ways households can look at reducing their energy bill costs before the new price cap kicks in. These nine insights explore both short and long-term ways to lower the consumption of energy used around the home, which should have a positive impact on utility bills. Many of us won’t be able to save money by switching energy tariffs or providers at the moment as there are very few suppliers offering cheaper energy deals. However, there are still things consumers can do to save money on their bills. Switch to online billing to avoid admin fees associated with paper bills. If you’re currently receiving paper bills, ask if your supplier can change to paperless bills and see if you can manage your bills online instead, if possible. Paying by direct debit is usually the cheapest option, as some providers will offer savings for those who move to direct debit. However, if your supplier wants to increase your direct debit by more than you can manage or are expecting, ask them to explain why. Finally, sending your provider regular meter readings will keep your payments accurate and prevent estimated bills, which can sometimes be quite high. If you have a smart meter, it will send meter readings automatically, but you can double-check this on your smart meter or by checking with your provider to make sure you aren’t being given estimated bills. Washing machines have become more energy-efficient, however despite this, they are often one of the most frequently used appliances in the home, and while they may be convenient – especially for larger families – they use a lot of water and can be expensive to run. This is especially true if you run a wash during peak times. However, you could save around £27 a year just by making a few simple changes: It might be worth upgrading your dryer to an eco-friendly heat pump dryer to save energy and money. A tumble dryer uses a lot of energy, particularly if it is inefficient. One load in an electrical tumble dryer costs around 50p to £1.80 per cycle, depending heavily on the dryer’s type, its energy efficiency rating, and the current electricity price cap. While an A-rated heat-pump dryer costs around 50p to 65p per full load cycle, this can vary based on your specific electricity rate and the dryer model. If you do have a tumble dryer, cleaning the lint filters every time you use the machine can help save money. A blocked filter stops the air from circulating freely and takes clothes a lot longer to dry. If you’d prefer to dry your clothes naturally, this can save you the most money. However, make sure you don’t hang wet clothes on radiators to dry as this can cause condensation and cause the radiators to run inefficiently, costing you more money in the long run. Use a clothes horse or drying line instead. A more efficient heating system can save money, and even small changes, like turning down the thermostat by one degree, can reduce heating bills by 10 per cent. Try to set the timer to only come on when you’re at home and need the heating on in order to avoid wasting energy. It’s worth noting that lots of companies offer advanced smart controls for heating systems that connect to the internet. Similar to a timer, but more advanced, these can help you change timings remotely. Adding smart controls to your heating can give you the freedom to change your settings remotely, so you’ll only use energy when it’s really needed. When heating your home, a cheap way to help keep the heat in is to add some reflector panels behind your radiators. These will help spread the heat around quicker as the panels reflect the heat back into the room, keeping you warmer for longer. Households are busy places, and while we all strive to keep on top of general cleaning, you may not have the time to regularly deep clean every corner of the home. But did you know that dirt can have an impact on the efficiency of your larger appliances? For example, large appliances, like fridges, cookers, dryers, dishwashers or washing machines, can gather dust or become dirty over time. This can impact their energy efficiency, resulting in higher energy bills as they’ll need more energy to run. One example of this is fridge filters, which need to be kept clean to run properly. Dusting the condenser coils regularly can help your refrigerator run as efficiently as possible. In addition, older appliances won’t be as energy-efficient as newer ones, which will cost you money as they’ll be working much harder and using more energy. If you can afford to do so, it may be worth upgrading to a newer, more energy-efficient model where possible. You will need to balance the cost of a new appliance with the potential savings to see if it’s worthwhile switching. Some of us overfill the kettle when we’re making a brew; however, this can cost you money and energy. Try and only boil the amount of water that you need, saving you around £10 each year. Most kettles now have a low minimum-fill line, and switch off as soon as they’ve boiled. You could go one step further and boil a full kettle in the morning and pour the remaining water into a large thermos flask to keep it warm for the rest of the day. This will save you from boiling the kettle several times throughout the day to save you money and energy. An older kettle will need to work harder and take longer to boil the water you need. So if you have an older model, it may be time to switch to a newer energy-efficient model, which will help you make savings in the long run. Remember to keep your kettle clean by descaling it regularly – if it’s full of limescale, you’ll be using more energy to boil the water, which can add to your energy bills. The term ’vampire device’ is used to describe electrical devices that continue to drain power when they’re plugged in but not actually being used, such as leaving a television on standby. Although this may be convenient, it will contribute to your already increasing energy bill. And while it may not seem like a major problem in the short term, over the course of a year, the aggregate cost of leaving multiple devices on standby can add a noticeable extra amount onto your bills. Some of the most common ‘vampire devices’ include microwaves, computer monitors, coffee machines, white goods and chargers. Some devices, like a modem or a fridge, do need to be kept on 24/7, but most electronic devices can be turned off at the plug when not in use to save money. By turning these off, you could save up to £45 a year. Draught-proofing your home and topping up the insulation in your loft is one of the simplest ways to save money and energy. While it may not be too cold yet, it’s best to be prepared and start getting your home’s insulation set up in time for the winter weather. Better insulation helps reduce the amount of energy you’re using overall, including what you use for heating your home. Moreover, a quarter of your home’s heat is lost through the roof, so keeping this warm air inside means your home will stay warmer for longer and you won’t be wasting energy and money. Adding insulation by DIY fitting foam insulation around exposed hot water pipes could cost as little as £15, and the more you add, the more money you’ll save. Many homes have gaps around doors and windows, which can result in heat escaping from your home. If you stop this heat escaping, you could save yourself up to £85 a year. It’s also worth noting that if you have an open chimney, draught-proofing it with an inflatable pillow when it’s not in use could save a further £65 a year. Another money-saving tip is to use draught excluders and sealant strips to keep warm air in while maintaining proper ventilation by not covering air vents. Just remember that when you are adding insulation to your home or draught-proofing gaps, you do need some ventilation in the home. So make sure you aren’t covering up holes that are supposed to be there, like trickle vents in window frames. Installing a few additional features in your home can be an effective way of saving money on your energy bills. For example, investing in thermostatic radiator valves can help control the temperature of individual radiators so you can make sure you’re only heating the rooms you actually need. This reduces the volume of hot water going to the radiators, using less energy and helping save you money. Try switching to LED bulbs, which can save up to £8 a year and last longer than incandescent lights. Another inexpensive feature to consider is installing an energy-efficient shower head, which regulates the water flow to reduce the amount you use when showering. If you’re in the market for a new appliance such as a refrigerator, washing machine or tumble dryer, choosing one with a rating of A+ or above (A+++ is the top rating) will ensure that it’s more energy efficient but also kinder to the environment. For some, simply cutting down on usage or making small changes won’t save enough in order to make their energy bills more affordable. Some households may need extra help or support to pay their energy bills. If this is the case, contact your energy supplier as soon as possible. Talking about it with your provider may feel like the last thing you want to do, but it’s the best way to get help. Your options could include agreeing on a payment plan to pay each month by direct debit, signing up for a different tariff – such as a social tariff, more time to pay, payment breaks, or they may have grants and schemes or hardship funds you could access. Energy suppliers are required to take certain steps before cutting off your supply, so if you’re honest with them, they will help you find ways to pay. For immediate help if you are in an urgent financial crisis, there are many organisations and charities that can help provide support too including Citizens Advice, MoneyHelper, National Energy Action, National Debtline and StepChange.