Energy advice

• Set your heating timer to come on a bit earlier than normal, but at a slightly lower temperature.
• Set your water temperature to 55°C if you have a combi boiler, or to 60°C if you have any other type of boiler.
• Try to set the hot water and heating to come on individually when you need them, rather than having them both on all the time.
• Try to avoid drying clothes on radiators, as this cools the room.
• Move furniture, for example the sofa, so it’s not blocking the radiator as the furniture will absorb the heat.
• Close your curtains before dark to retain the heat in your home.
• Don’t forget to have your boiler serviced every year to ensure it’s safe and running as efficiently as possible. See gas & electrical safety checks.

Pre-payment meters can be one of the most expensive ways of paying for your energy. If at all possible, ask your supplier to switch you to a standard meter and pay monthly bills with a direct debit.

If shopping for a fridge or any other electrical appliance look out for the EU Energy Label, which shows how efficient it is.

• Turn off the lights you’re not using.
• Switch to using energy saving light bulbs or LED bulbs.
• Switch off electrical appliances at the wall when you’re not using them (like mobile phone chargers).
• Switch off appliances like TVs at the mains instead of using their standby mode.
• Turn your laptop or computer off or put it in sleep mode.
• Wash your clothes at 30 degrees and for a shorter period. Some machines have an ‘eco’ setting.
• Don’t leave taps running, even when brushing your teeth.
• Maximise the load of your dishwasher, washing machine or tumble dryer (try not to use a tumble dryer as they are highly inefficient and use a lot of electricity).
• Don’t overfill the kettle.

You could get £140 off your electricity bill for winter under the Warm Home Discount Scheme. It’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill between September and March. To check if you’re eligible, click the button below:

Warm Home Discount Scheme website

For those of you that do have pre-payment meters for your gas and electricity, we recommend building up your credit over the warmer Summer months when your usage is less. Try and make sure that you put the same amount of money each month on your key or card making it easier to budget throughout the year.

• Cranking up the thermostat when it’s cold outside is not a good idea as it will cost more money.
• Increasing the temperature to heat the room quicker doesn’t work.

SaveWaterSaveMoney has joined forces with 20 local water suppliers to provide free water saving products; click the button below to order a box:

SaveWaterSaveMoney website

If you haven’t already, you may wish to consider changing the way you pay for your water. Water meters are widely accepted as the fairest way of charging for water usage – It’s simple, you pay for what you use. You really could make some surprising savings, especially if you live alone. Your water supplier should have a water savings calculator to estimate your household usage. Here’s a good one we’ve found provided by Southern Water.

Water suppliers have discount schemes and lower tariffs to help eligible customers. Low income households may be eligible for a discount, and those with larger families or medical conditions that require the use of more water may qualify for a cap on their bill.