The UK is in the grip of energy bills and a cost-of-living crisis that is set to plunge millions of people into poverty. Recent spikes in the cost of oil coupled with the ongoing Ukraine conflict and the Tories’ increase in National Insurance have seen a black hole develop in many of our households’ budgets. This means that families that use a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,971 a year.
Whilst there is little any of us can directly do about the above, there are still some steps you can take to save money on your energy and fuel bills.
Here are Inverness Taxis‘ top tips for saving money on your bills.
1. Switch off lights and appliances
It might seem like a bit of an obvious one, but it can make a real difference to the pennies and pounds that go towards your energy bill.
Switch to energy-saving lightbulbs like LEDs and turn off lights that are not essential. Extend that philosophy to other appliances in your home and unplug any appliances or even charging cables that you’re not using. Keeping those gadgets on or on standby can waste electricity and in turn, waste YOUR money! According to the Energy Saving Trust just taking your appliances off standby can save you £35 a year.
2. Reduce your appliance energy consumption
There are plenty of small ways to reduce your energy consumption that all add up to decent savings come the end of the year. If you usually put your clothes through a 60-degree hot wash, take down the heat to 30 and save on the cash it takes to heat the water to such a degree.
Once the washing is done consider ditching tumble drying the wet clothes. Tumble dryers guzzle energy, and now we are getting into warmer weather, it’s a perfect excuse to let the clothes see the sun on the line and save yourself some cash.
You might not know it, but microwaves tend to use much less energy than the oven. So, whenever you can, nuke your food rather than heat up the oven and this could save you as much as £80 each year.
3. Turn the heating down
Heating your home is expensive and it’s going to get a lot more expensive from April 2022. Turning down the heat by just 1°C can save you as much as £80 per year on your heating bills according to the comparison website uSwitch.
It might sound a bit Dickensian, but if you can put up with having the thermostat lower and layer up instead, you could make some significant savings on your energy costs.
4. Insulate your home and save on your energy bills
It might be a bit boring but insulating your home can make a huge difference to the efficiency of heating your home.
As much as 25% of the heat from your home can leak through your roof. So, padding out your loft can help stop the warmth from escaping, meaning you don’t have to turn the heating on as often. It could save you up to a whopping £130 a year! There is a reason Extinction Rebellion feel so strongly about insulation!
Other very glamourous energy-saving home improvements include:
Installing double glazing on your windows
Draft-proofing your doors and windows
Insulating the pipes
Cavity walls insulation
You could save hundreds of pounds a year by spending now on improving your home’s heating efficiency.
5. Get a smart thermostat
A smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home and decide how much energy you’re using through your central heating.
You can use a timer so that the heating turns on when you want it to.
The temperature can also be set from your phone so you can control your heating remotely, which is handy if you forgot to turn it off while you’re out.
Save On Your Fuel Bills
To add to the pressure facing UK households this summer, fuel costs have been spiralling. Petrol and diesel are at all-time highs and don’t look like they are going to come down any time soon. Read IT Garage Services guide to being more economical with your fuel for hints and tips to save your car costs.
As ever, you can save filling up the car by calling one of our cabs to get you around Inverness. Whether it be a night out or an important appointment, Inverness Taxis will get you there safe and sound and on time. Download the Inverness Taxis app or call 01463 222222 to book your Inverness cab now!
You could also become an Inverness Taxi driver now to kick start a new career or start the perfect side hustle! Check out our guide on becoming a taxi driver for more details!