Take Control of Your Energy Bills  - and More

 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s vow to give all UK households help with their energy bill couldn’t come quick enough.

 Households where benefits are claimed will receive £650 for their fuel bills under the Warm Homes Discount scheme, while others will get a reduction of £400 in October. It’s a lot, but it’s hardly enough. Many people will still be thrown into fuel poverty over the coming months while gas companies celebrate profits of billions of pounds. The 25 per cent windfall tax on shareholder profits for a time isn’t going to make much of a dent, really.

 But ,regardless of the politics, it’s a tough time for households all over the UK. The most recent government Office of National Statistics (ONS) survey on groceries shows that even the lowest cost food staples have markedly increased in price over the past year. To the extent that pasta has gone up by 50 percent and bread 16 per cent. So, how can you stretch the pennies and make your money last longer? Here’s a few tips that are worth considering:

 Lower your energy bills

 Open windows ..... It may sound counter-productive, but the way to use less energy is to open your windows and let some fresh air in. Keeping them closed results in condensation on the glass panes and frames. The reason you want to avoid this is because it takes longer to heat up a damp room (ie one with condensation) than it does fresh air.

 Defrost fridge/freezer .....Don’t let ice build up in your fridge and freezer. Even a quarter inch thick coating of ice will slow down the running of both, making them less efficient - so costlier to run. And, sticking with the fridge/freezer, it also costs less to keep them full (even if you have to fill them with bottles of water from the tap) because the appliance doesn’t have to work so hard to keep the space cool.

 Switch off appliances ..... Many of us charge up our mobile phones overnight. But that’s a waste of electricity. The typical mobile needs only a couple of hours to reach full charge. Don’t leave the TV on standby and always turn off lights when the room’s empty too. Around 12 percent of your electricity bill goes on lighting, after all.

 Oven use..... When heating up food in the oven, try not to open the door to check on it. Every time you do this the temperature drops so it has to work harder (and use more energy) to heat backup again. And, on that note, switch off the oven for the last five minutes of cooking – it’ll still be warm enough and means you don’t waste heat. If you can, use the microwave instead of the cooker, as it’s cheaper.

 Fresh air. Air dry clothes and dishes. It doesn’t cost anything and in the case of the former, they smell nicer.

 Use LED .....If you don’t already, switch to LED bulbs. These may cost a little more initially, but they last far longer than other bulbs and use a fraction of electricity in comparison. In fact, according to consumer magazine Which an LED bulb costs just £1.71 a year in electricity.

 Get government help .....The Winter Fuel Payment is for those aged 60 and over. Fuel Direct helps benefit holders manage their gas and electricity bills by getting suppliers to agree to prepayment plans.

 Need more advice?

 At Stewardson Developments we want our tenants to be able to switch on their heating without feeling hostage to the utility companies. For that reason, we’re happy to offer advice on how you can lower your energy bills over the coming months. This article has some great ideas for starters. But we’re always keen to hear your own ideas too so feel free to share…

 You can always call us on 01384 633 733 or write to us via info@stewardson.co.uk.

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