Nobody likes to be greeted with a hefty electricity bill when the time comes.
Here then, I give you some of my top tips to avoid high electricity prices.
The Lights Are On But Nobody’s Home
Whilst this may typically be used as an insult, it is also a true to life reference to the shocking waste of electricity here in the UK. If you leave electricity, such as lights, on all day, it is inevitable that electricity prices will be quite high.
Instead, you need to be more conscious of your environment. If you don’t need a light on, turn it off.
Lighting actually accounts for around 19% of a typical home owner’s bill, so if you take a little more action to control your usage better, you could save yourself a fair bit of money.
Another recommendation when it comes to lighting is to fit energy saving bulbs. They might cost a little more than regular bulbs, but they usually last longer and can save you up to £120 a bulb by the time you have to change them again.
Research Government Schemes Available
The government and electricity suppliers don’t actually want to charge you too much on your bills and they offer a number of schemes, subsidies and discounts to cut down electricity prices for people eligible to them.
Typically, these schemes are designed for pensioners or those at risk of falling into fuel poverty, but it is well worth checking out the Energy Saving Trust and other not for profit organisations, or simply calling your supplier to see if they can offer any form of discounts to you.
Change The Way You Pay
If you currently pay by cash or cheque, look into alternatives available as it usually one of the more expensive ways to pay your bills.
Also if you are online, you will more than likely find that your electricity supplier offers one or two deals online which are actually better than equivalent offline deals, so make the most of them.
Many suppliers also offer better deals if you take up a dual fuel deal, that is to say the provider supplies both your gas and electricity, so this could potentially be another way of slashing your electricity prices, so is well worth looking into.
Other Measures
There are plenty of other ways to save energy and cut electricity costs. Looking out for appliances with an Energy Saving Trust accreditation will ensure you pick up gadgets and household equipment with good energy efficiency. Making sure to unplug these when not in use is another way to cut costs and, if you can get your electricity supplier to provide one, you use of an energy monitor is another way for you to keep on top of your household energy use and make changes where needed.
About the Author: Louisa Jenkins is an energy efficiency expert who provides assistance to those worried about their electricity prices and offers advice on the best way to cut their usage down.
