With energy prices increasing, you may be worried about the cost of bills this winter.  We understand that every little helps and we’re here to help.

There are some small steps you can take to save yourself some money, use less energy, and help the environment in the process.

Reduce your heating by one degree

A large majority of your bill is likely to come from heating costs as the weather turns colder. Reducing your heating by one degree won’t make a difference to how cold you are but it can help make a difference to your bank balance. Following this step could potentially save you up to £55 a year!

Wash clothes less frequently and on a colder wash

Saving up your washing and putting it on weekly, rather than every day, is an easy way to use less energy and save some money. Washing machines also often have different settings on them, and the majority of the time these are left on 40 degrees. Cutting this down to 30 degrees is a really simple way to cut energy costs, and could save you £20 a year in the long run.  Just make sure not to overload the machine as it could affect the efficiency of the washing.

Remove limescale from your kettle

Hot drinks are essential for getting through winter, but even boiling the kettle will use valuable energy. When we use the kettle frequently, it can result in a build-up of limescale inside. Limescale is a chalky residue which occurs when water evaporates quickly, so it can be common in kettles. While this isn’t bad for you, it can cause your kettle to stop being as efficient – meaning it uses more energy than usual.

You can descale your kettle by soaking vinegar in it overnight or using a special cleaning solution. By doing this and descaling your kettle, you could save up to 3p per cuppa. Although this doesn’t sound like much, it adds up to over £30 a year if you enjoy three hot drinks per day.

Unplug and switch off electronics when they’re not in use

We can all be guilty of leaving devices on standby when they’re not being used. This is a huge waste of energy and is something that can easily be avoided. Ensuring that all electronics such as TVs or computers are switched off properly when you’re finished using them could save up to £40 a year.

Try keeping your shower to four minutes

Using hot water for showers is a necessity, but cutting your shower time down from eight minutes to four minutes could save around £100 a year per person! You could try to stick to this by setting a timer when you get in the shower, so you know when you’re about to run out of time.

Turning lights off when you’re not in the room

Turning lights off when you’re not using a room is a simple way to reduce your energy bill, and could save you up to £14 a year. It’s also important not to use lights during the day when they’re not needed, as this is using vital energy and costing you money.

Draught proof your house

We all have rooms in the house which seem draughtier than others, but checking for these draughts and blocking them could help rooms retain their heat. Often, these draughts come from doors and windows, so can be easily blocked using some DIY methods. The bottom of doors can be draught-proofed using long draught excluders, or windows can be draught-proofed using foam strips which stick on. By ridding your home of these pesky draughts, you could save yourself around £30 a year.

If you’re having a tough time financially and need extra support, please reach out to us as soon as possible.
We will support you to contact utility suppliers, assisting you in applying for benefits, advice on budgeting, maximising your income and managing any rent arrears or other debts. You can speak to us by emailing hello@forhousing.co.uk, chatting with us at www.forhousing.co.uk, or calling us on 0300 123 55 22.