If you're worried about your energy bill, an expert has shared his top tips to help keep costs down.
The UK is halfway through the Government’s Energy Bill Support Scheme and all households will continue to receive £67 off their energy bill each month until March.
But from April, the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee, which currently sets the average energy bill at £2,500, will be increased to £3,000 which means households will have to continue to be wary of their usage.
One heating expert spoke to The Sun and shared his tips on how you can reduce your energy consumption and in turn save yourself some cash on your energy bills going forward.
Dave Raval, chief executive of Loftzone, said his tips could help lower costs by up to £1,895.
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Turning down your thermostat by one degree could save you around £100 a year (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Turning down your thermostat - save £100
Dave’s first tip is quite a simple one, and one we have most definitely heard of before - but it is simply to turn down the thermostat in your home.
He explained how the average temperature households set their thermostat to is 21 degrees, however, the lowest temperature you can stay comfortable with is between 18 and 20 degrees.
If your thermostat is set at a higher temperature than this, Dave says you can most likely afford to turn it down and not sacrifice your comfort.
By turning it down one degree, you could make a saving of around £100, with bigger savings for bigger cuts.
However, he does note that there are exceptions to this such as those who are ill-health.
Switch off 'vampire devices' - save £750
Dave has also recommended you check for “vampire devices” in your home, these devices are those left on standby or used inefficiently and can cause your bills to rack up.
To avoid these devices racking up your bills, the home insulation and heating expert said you could use a “smart plug” to help you pinpoint the devices in your home.
Dave said: “Things like set-top boxes use a lot of energy when they are left on standby. To check for these energy-guzzling appliances, you could use a smart plug - and you'll probably be astonished at the results.
"Once you've checked your home, you could share the device with your neighbours to help them with their energy usage."
Research by British Gas found the average saving for switching off “vampire devices” was around £147 a year.
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However, one dad of two cut his energy bill by £750 by turning off and selling his most expensive “vampire devices”.
Draught-proof your home - save £60
Windows and doors are prone to being a little draughty, particularly if they are older.
According to Shell Energy these small gaps can cost the average home around £60 a year.
To combat this if you are unable to buy new doors or windows, purchase draught-proof tape which can go around windows to seal them up and stop the heating from escaping.
You can also buy or make draught excluders for your doors.
Dave added: "Don’t let the money you’ve spent on heating your house seep through the gaps.
"One cold evening, go around with your hand across every window and across every door and feel for draughts."
Dave says it was important to not waste energy by heating rooms you are not using (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Buy a rug - save £110
Another simple hack for cutting your energy bill is to simply lay down a rug on wooden/laminate flooring.
Dave explained how an uninsulated floor can account for up to 10% of your home’s heat loss and by insulating your floor, on average you could save around £110.
Dave said that adding an extra layer, especially of something in a cosy material, like a rug, can not only cover over gaps you might find in the flooring but also prevent some warm air from escaping.
Check your radiators - save £75
Another simple, but effective tip is to check the radiators in your home.
Dave explained how it was important to not waste money on heating rooms that you don't spend too much time in.
He recommended installing a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) as by attaching one to a radiator, you can limit or turn off the flow of gas into the radiator while the central heating is on.
This will allow you to only heat the rooms you want to, meaning there is no need to turn on every radiator in the house.
You could save you up to £75 a year by doing this, according to British Gas.
Open your curtains - save £30
On one of the rare sunny days the UK can get in the winter, Dave recommends you open your curtains wide and allow the sun to come in and to close them again when it gets dark.
Dave explained that the sun will warm up the room naturally, and closing them in the evening will stop the heat from escaping again.
Thermal blackout curtains is another option you can invest in to help with your energy bills, as these curtains create a seal to the wall which can prevent the transfer of heat both ways.
In turn, this will keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Make sure your loft is insulated - save £300
Another common tip to help energy bills has been to invest and update your loft insulation, with The Sun reporting that around a quarter of the heat in your home can be lost through the roof.
Dave said loft insulation is vital for helping homeowners save up to £300 in heating bills every year.
He added: "Fluffy loft insulation works by trapping air so when you squash it you get rid of all those air bubbles, and it doesn't work so well.
"Raised loft boarding is the best at preventing this, creating a raised platform for boarding to rest on.
Bubblewrap your windows? - save £400
If you want to go a little “out of the norm” with your energy-saving habits, you could always bubble-wrap your windows, this could be an option for those who are unable to install double glazing in their home.
The Sun has previously reported a story about one woman who managed to save around £400 a year on her energy bills by bubble-wrapping her windows.
Of course, this may sound chaotic, however, there is some logic to it, as the bubbles in bubble wrap serve as multiple insulating pockets filled with air.
Energy expert Dave agreed it does work and said bubble wrap with bigger bubbles works best at creating a protective later.
However, with all of these types of “hacks”, there is a potential fire risk which you would need to be aware of as bubble wrap can catch on fire easily and quickly due to the mix of plastic spheres and oxygen.
If you are planning to do this, then you would need to carefully plan your execution and keep the bubble wrap away from all electrical items and in particular candles.
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