The credit crunch has bitten down harder in the UK than almost anywhere else in the world. Whereas all the other major economies have officially left recession the UK was one of the last to show signs of positive growth. Because of this major economic problem many people are suffering financially, and even those that aren’t are trying to find ways to save money, and one of the best ways to do that is by saving money on your utility bills. But how do you go about doing that?
Utility bills
Utility bills are one of the biggest drains on a household’s finances. When we say utility bills we are talking about those essential bills that you use for many modern conveniences – water bills, electricity bills, heating bills etc. Because they are essential we can’t avoid paying them, but we can find ways and means of cutting down the size of the bills, and so saving money.
- Unplug Your Electrical Appliances
Most people know to switch appliances off rather than having them on stand by, as stand by uses as much as 80% of the energy of having it switched on anyway. But what many people don’t know is that even when you have electrical appliances turned off you are still using electricity – some electrical appliances draw a small current even when turned off, which in turn drives up your electricity bills for power you are not actually using. So unplugging electrical devices you are not using will save you money.
- Energy Saving Light bulbs
Change your usually used light bulbs to energy saving ones. These light bulbs are 75% more efficient with electrical current and so will cut down the amount of electricity needed to light a room, and in turn cut down your electricity bills. They also last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and so will save you money on replacing them.
- Time your electricity usage
Electricity is more expensive at peak times of the day. Find out what times you own electricity supplier considers ‘peak’ times and make sure that you time your major electricity usage for outside of those times, it can make a surprising difference to your bills.
- Fit wall and loft insulation to your home
Heating is expensive, but much needed in the UK! It is important to try to keep heated air inside the home. Unfortunately many homes have too many gaps for air to escape out of, or cold breezes to come in. By properly insulating your home you can cut down on the amount of heat that you need to warm your home – and in many cases there are Government grants available to help you.
- Ensure your doors and windows are properly fitted
Gaps in windows and walls are all too common, and let out hot air and let in cold. If you get them seen to, properly fitted and gaps filled in you will help increase the heating efficiency of you home, and cut down heating costs.
- Take a short shower instead of a bath
Water is one of the most expensive utility bills. When you run a bath you use a lot of water. Instead focus on having short showers when you are trying to cut down on your water usage and get clean at the same time, the amount of water saved is considerable.
- Use Heating on a Timer
It can be too easy to forget to turn the heating off when you don’t need it – such as when you have gone to work. Rather than rely on your memory use a timer to switch the heating off at certain times of the day, it will help cut your heating bills down considerably.
Comments on this entry are closed.