How You Can Cut Your Energy Bills in 5 Simple Steps

If you’re trying to find ways to cut down your bills, you are far from alone. People around the country are taking both frugal and creative steps to save themselves some money in the current economic climate, a time when “cost of living crisis” is heard all too often. Energy bills in particular are what people are concerned about, as they reach an all-time eye, worryingly coinciding with freezing winter conditions.

In the depths of an icy winter, is there any way to stay warm without breaking the bank? In the past, you may have been able to switch energy provider to save some money, but now after the closure of many providers the market is tight, and the remaining providers have closed their doors to new customers. Besides forking out money for gadgets like electric blankets and air fryers, what can you do to improve your home efficiency and cut your energy bills?

5 Steps to Reducing Your Energy Bills

Don’t feel like you are the mercy of your energy provider. There are decisive actions that you can take to regain control over your expenses and reduce your energy bills. The five suggestions below are going to help you in this regard:

Insulate, insulate, insulate. There’s a reason why insulation is a hot topic at the moment. Any other gadget or energy efficiency improvement will be wasted if your property isn’t properly insulated. Investigate the different options available, from insulation boards to fibreglass insulation, to find the right material for the area you want to insulate. It will help your home to retain warmth, thereby reducing the energy you need to use and lowering your bill as a result.
Change your boiler. There are many energy-efficient appliances available on the market that play a large role in lowering your energy usage. Since 2007, all new boilers in the UK must be a condensing boiler that reuses the heat in flue gases instead of wasting it. These models are 90 per cent efficient and thus will help you to save energy and cut your bill. If your boiler isn’t a modern condensing boiler, invest in one and you’ll see the benefits both immediately and long term too.
Switch to a thermostat that you can program. Take control of the temperature in your home with a programmable thermostat, one that you set up to automatically adjust the temperate throughout the day according to your habits. In this way, you won’t be wasting money heating your home when you’re not there. Research shows that using a thermostat to lower your home temperature by just one degree can save you a massive 10 per cent on your energy bill.
Organise an energy audit for your home. Just an accountant takes a financial audit to assess the fiscal health of a business and to highlight any improvements that need to be made, a professional energy auditor can do the same in regard to the efficiency of your home. With a thorough examination of your home systems, lighting, insulation, appliances, and other factors, they will be able to accurately assess how efficient your home currently is. They will also be able to highlight any areas that need improvement and provide you with specific guidance in how you can save money and lower your bills. If you want to keep any eye on your energy usage on a more regular basis, a smart meter can also help you see how much you’re using on a day to day basis.
Learn about peak hours. Peak hours are times in the day when everyone is going to be using electricity at the same time. It could be midday in summer, or early evening in the winter, and during these times electricity demand goes up so the price goes up with it. If you can get to know these peak hours, you can adjust your usage to use power at times of less demand and less expense.