Reduce the cost of energy bills

With so much uncertainty surrounding the cost of energy price rises this winter, it’s no surprise why so many homeowners and tenants are looking for ways to reduce the cost of their energy bills.

There are several handy tips to reduce the cost of energy bills this winter and they couldn’t come at a better time. Consumer analysts are predicting one of the biggest increases in energy hikes this October and it is likely to hit people hard. We want to explore the options as to how you can reduce the cost of energy bills.

For many, making small inexpensive changes around the home can make a large difference and right now, every little bit helps.

Try these simple energy-saving tips to keep your energy bills as low as possible in readiness for the upcoming price hikes.

• Turning the heating down by just 1°c can be enough to save up to £80.00 per year on your gas and electricity bill combined. Whilst you may not notice the difference in temperature, the cost savings are worth adding another layer of clothing!
• Use a Smart Thermostat. A Smart Thermostat controls the heating on your property and can save you money by optimising the performance of your heating system. It will also show you how much energy you are using on what appliances, providing you with a smarter way to manage them.
• Consider an energy-efficient boiler

Government £400 energy discount scheme

To help with the rising cost of living, the government announced a new scheme to help people with their energy bills.

• Who is eligible? Everyone
• How much can you get? A £400 energy grant, in the form of money off six energy bills. This does not have to be repaid
• How will the £400 energy payment be paid? Suppliers will automatically apply discounts of around £66 to your energy bills from October 2022 to March 2023. The government will foot the bill, for more information – how to claim.

DOORS & WINDOWS

Doors and windows can often be the worst offenders for allowing heat to escape. It’s fair to say there is little that can be done about escaping heat when the door is opened and closed. But, we can prevent heat loss from the doors and windows by ensuring that a good tight seal is formed around them. Expanding strips, often with sticky back plastic can be firmly placed between the door frame and the door, providing a tighter seal and preventing heat from escaping and cold from entering.

LOFT INSULATION CAN REDUCE THE COST OF ENERGY BILLS

Ensure that the loft insulation is adequate. It may be that the loft insulation has not been assessed in many years and may now be insufficient. It may be of a material or design that does not provide the most efficient way of retaining heat. A heat loss survey will identify suitable insulation that could save considerable costs in wasted heat.

CAVITY WALL INSULATION

Cavity wall insulation is certainly a method that can be considered when considering adding extra insulation measures to your property, however, it is highly recommended to get a professional cavity wall survey carried out first. It may be that you don’t have a cavity wall, instead, you may have a solid wall. Either way, if you don’t use the right products you could then cause further problems such as dampness.

INSULATING TANKS, PIPES AND RADIATORS

One simple option you could carry out to reduce the cost of your energy bills is to install a thermal blanket for your hot water tank, this will retain the heat far longer than if you didn’t have one at all. Insulating pipes and placing foil backing on the radiators is also good practice to improve energy efficiency

FLOOR INSULATION

When was the last time you checked your carpet underlay or laminate flooring underlay? Over time, most underlays breakdown and begin to deteriorate, meaning they become less effective. For more information

HEAT LOSS SURVEY

A heat loss survey will identify areas of the property that are losing heat, in some instances, even the smallest amount of heat can be detected but can play a considerable role in increasing the cost of your energy bills. Furthermore, the heat loss survey will fully assess the property and make recommendations to reduce the cost of your energy bills by as much as 50%.

The professionally qualified surveyor will have a great deal of knowledge and information to share with you, providing an essential list of proposed actions that can reduce the cost of your energy bills, with winter on the way and with the cost of energy prices expected to rise, it makes perfect sense to enlist the support, knowledge and skills of a heat loss surveyor.