Top 10 Energy Saving Tips to Cut Your Fuel Bills

If you use both gas and electricity in your home, your annual fuel bills will have risen by around £400 since 2003. This translates to an increase of around 50% in electricity prices and a massive 90% in gas prices across the UK.

The good news is that you could cut the cost of these increases in half by being more energy efficient and switching to the cheapest energy supplier.

TOP 10 ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Apply these energy saving tips and you could save hundreds of pounds in lower energy bills every year.

1. Shop around for your energy...

If you have never switched your energy supplier you could save up to £270 by changing to a new company. You can compare all UK energy providers for free by using an online price comparison site.

2. Pay by direct debit…

You don’t have to switch your energy supplier to reduce your bills. If you don't currently pay by direct debit you could save around £150 a year and even more by using an online account.

3. Get free advice...

Your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre can give you free, expert advice on saving energy and applying for any grants available in your area to help with the cost of energy improvements to your home. You can contact your local centre on 0800 512012.

4. Save money on heating…

Simply turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. Heating water for bathing and washing is another area you can save money by setting the cylinder thermostat at 60°C/140°F.

5. Keep the heat in...

Draughty doors, windows and floors can be a major source of heat loss from your home. By using draught excluders on your keyholes, letter boxes and doors together with blocking gaps under skirting boards with newspaper, you can shave £5-£10 off your bills every year! If you have old or poorly fitting windows, double-glazing can cut heat loss through windows by 50% and reduce your heating bill by up to 100 a year. At night, closing your curtains and tucking them behind any under-window radiator will stop heat escaping through your windows.

6. Use the off button...

By switching unused appliances off such as televisions, videos and computers instead of leaving them on standby can save around £37 a year. Turn off lights when you leave an empty room and let in as much natural light as possible during the day.

7. Buy a jacket…

Fitting an insulating jacket for your hot water tank only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. A jacket that's at least 75mm thick could save around £20 a year.

8. Only use what you need…

By only filling your kettle with the water you need, it will boil quicker and save you money! But the opposite applies when using the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. Try to use a full load with these appliances and wash clothes on a low temperature programme as modern washing powders will be just as effective at lower temperatures.

9. Have a light bulb moment...

Saving energy can be as easy as changing a light bulb. By replacing standard bulbs with energy efficient ones you can save up to £9 on your annual electricity bill. Priced from just a few pounds, energy efficient light bulbs last around 12 times and pay for themselves with lower bills.

10. Give your home an energy health check...

To understand which energy saving tips and improvements will be most effective for your home, use the Energy Saving Trust online home energy check. Visit www.est.org.uk.

Visit our compare energy prices page for a full list of energy price comparison websites.

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