Thursdays 5th December 2019
As part of the Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo weekly advice column we focus on energy costs.
I live with my two children and partner in a small semi-detached house. During the winter we use more heating and electricity as we’re home more. Do you have any tips on how I can keep the cost of my energy down during the winter?
There are a few things you can do to save some money during the winter period. Check when your energy contract is due to expire. If you’re at the end of your contract use https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/ to see if you could save money by switching supplier or tariff.
If you’re on a prepayment meter you could save money by replacing your meter with one that lets you pay after using energy rather than in advance. Most suppliers won’t charge you for removing a prepayment meter, though many will run a credit check or ask you for a deposit.
You may also be eligible for certain grants and benefits, these could include Warm Home discount or help with energy debt. Visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk if you need help with the application.
Here’s a few practical tips to help keep costs down:
1. Using a timer for your heating, lowering your thermostat and using radiator valve controls could save you over £100 per year
2. Changing light bulbs to an energy-efficient one could save £50 over the lifetime of the bulb
3. Turn appliances off standby mode to save around £30 a year
4. Seal cracks in floors, skirting boards and add draft excluders to letterboxes, doors and windows.
Some energy suppliers also offer grants to allow improvements to your home, like insulation or a new boiler. What help you can get depends on your circumstances and what would help your home. You don’t need to be a customer of one of these suppliers to apply. You can check your eligibility at: www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk.
Look out for our column next week when we focus on holiday bookings.
The information contained in these articles does not constitute advice. Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo accept no liability for the information published. Citizens Advice Exeter is unable to respond to individual requests for advice through these columns. Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date version, please visit the Citizens Advice website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk