The rising cost of energy bills has been on the news a lot recently, and you’ve likely seen reports about the ongoing cost crisis or cost of living crisis.
Read on for more information on energy usage, ways you can lower your energy bills, hacks when it comes to saving energy and support available.
But first, what is the energy crisis and what does it mean for your energy bills?
What is the Energy Crisis?
After the pandemic, when countries began to recover, the demand for gas started to increase again but it could not be met due to a shortage in supply. This caused gas prices to increase in 2021. The problem was made worse by renewable sources like wind and solar producing less power and cold weather during the winter months making more people turn their heating up.
This increase in gas prices forced some energy suppliers in the UK out of business. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has threatened supplies and driven up prices further. Russia is one of the world’s largest producers of oil and gas, supplying the EU with 40% of its gas in 2021.
Ways to Lower Your Energy Bills
GoCompare have developed an interactive energy cost calculator tool so you can find out how much something costs to run. The calculator will allow you to pick the appliances you want to compare and select how long they’ll be in use for.
Use a Comparison Website
Normally you would be able to find a better deal than the one you are on through a comparison website. But it’s likely you won’t find as many tariffs when you search just now – this is because energy is expensive for companies and they’re therefore unable to offer cheap deals.
If you don’t find a better tariff than the one you’re already on, it’s probably better to wait until deals are available again.
For many people who are not on a fixed deal, the energy price cap set by regulator Ofgem will be the cheapest rate available.
Get a Smart Meter
A smart meter can help you understand what you’re spending on gas or electricity. This could help you work out how to spend less. And the good news is most people can get a smart meter for free.
If you don’t want a smart meter, you can buy an energy monitor instead. This tells you how much energy you’re using.
You might also be able to borrow an energy meter from your local council or library. You can contact your local council to check if this is possible.
Check Your Meter Settings
If your meter isn’t set up properly you could be paying the more expensive daytime rate for the energy you’re using at night.
You can check your meter’s set up properly by using a bit of electricity during the day and looking at your meter display. You should only see your daytime meter reading go up.
If you’re not sure what time your daytime rate starts and ends, check if it’s on your bills, contract or ask your supplier.
If You Have an Immersion Heater
It’s important to check some types of heaters and meters are set up properly. It could save you a lot of money.
If you have an immersion heater it costs you on average 50p each hour to use. But really you only need to run it for a couple of hours a day – or less if you have an electric shower. This should give you enough hot water for the whole day.
And if you pay less money for electricity at night, set the timer on your immersion heater so it only heats water at night.
If You Have a Prepayment Meter
A prepayment meter works like a ‘pay-as-you-go’ tariff for gas or electricity. You need to pay for energy before you can use it. It’s also one of the most expensive ways of buying energy.
If you have a pre-pay meter, you can still switch suppliers but currently, for most people, it will be better to stay where you are as prices are capped.
You can ask your energy supplier to change you to a credit meter, but you will probably have to undergo a credit check and your energy account will need to be debt free.
Unplug ‘Vampire Devices’
Vampire devices are electrical appliances that drain power when left on standby or when they aren’t in use.
These can include games consoles, TVs, smart devices (like Alexa or Google Home), laptops and kitchen appliances.
Leaving a device on standby doesn’t use as much power as when it’s switched on, but the costs can soon start to climb. So switching off or unplugging these can be a great way to save on your bills.
Check and change games consoles settings to energy-saving mode – especially if you own an X-Box where this is not the default setting.
Head to confused.com’s website to use their vampire energy calculator and see what you could be saving per year.
Insulating Your Home
People in poorly insulated homes are likely to spend more on their annual energy bills than people in highly insulated homes.
Home insulation traps heat inside a property, usually by covering areas exposed to the outside, such as roofs, floors and walls. If the temperature drops very quickly after the heating is switched off, it’s likely your home isn’t properly insulated.
Small changes around the home can add up to big savings for your energy bills. For example, fitting your hot water cylinder with an insulating jacket can save you £35 a year in heating costs and 115kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Energy Saving Trust has a page dedicated to home insulation and suggestions to keep your home warm.
The cost of insulation depends on the type needed, and the size and age of the property. It can be an expensive way to recover energy costs but can pay off in the long term.
There is also support available to low-income households for installation:
- The Home Upgrade Grant, managed by local authorities, offers funding for cavity-wall and loft insulation and draught-proofing
- The Energy Company Obligation requires suppliers to support low-income households with improvements to their home
Reducing Your Energy Usage
Making small changes can have a big effect, for example:
- Run your washing machine at 30 degrees and make sure you wash a full load when you can
- Avoid using appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, and ovens between the hours of 2pm and 8pm where possible
- Use LED or energy-efficient light bulbs
- Make sure your fridge is set between 3 and 5 degrees and defrost your freezer regularly
- Avoid opening and closing the fridge when you walk into the kitchen – it forces your fridge to work harder
- Only put the amount of water that you need in your kettle, rather than filling it up full each time
- Don’t put an extractor fan on the whole time you are cooking – use it at the end for a few minutes to extract the steam and heat
- Think about what appliances you are using – microwaves, air fryers and slow cookers use up less energy than a traditional oven
- Shower for one minute less than usual – this could save around £85 a year for a household of four
- Use a tumble dryer less – try to airdry your clothes instead
Warm Home Discount Scheme
The warm home discount scheme will reopen in October 2024
If you get benefits, you might be able to get money off your electricity bill or money added to your prepayment meter.
If you or your partner get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you should get the Warm Home Discount. You might also be able to get the Warm Home Discount if you get a different benefit and the government decides you have ‘high energy costs’. They’ll work this out automatically – you don’t need to contact them.
If you have high energy costs, you’ll get the Warm Home Discount if you get either Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits or Income Support.
Find out more about the Warm Home Discount Scheme and eligibility.
Fuel Vouchers
Households that can’t afford to top up their prepayment meter might be able to get a fuel voucher. This is a code given in a letter or in a text message or email. It can be used it to add credit to a gas card or electricity key.
If you’re not sure if you are eligible you can contact your local council to help you get a fuel voucher.
You can use a fuel voucher at a shop signed up to PayPoint or a Post Office or shop signed up to Payzone. You must use your fuel voucher within 30 days after you get it.
Cold Weather Payments
Cold Weather Payments are one-off payments to help you pay for extra heating costs when it’s very cold. If you are eligible you’ll get paid automatically each time the temperature drops below a specific temperature for a set period of time.
You’ll only be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if you already get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or support for mortgage interest.
Find out more about Cold Weather Payments on GOV.UK.
Grants to Help Pay Off Your Energy Debts
If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay it off. A number of energy suppliers offer energy grants to their customers, including British Gas, Scottish Power, E.ON and EDF. You can find the full list on Citizen Advice Scotland’s website.
If your supplier isn’t listed it can be a good idea to contact them directly to see what extra support they can give you. If you can’t get a grant from your supplier, you might be able to get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust. These grants are available to anyone – you don’t have to be a British Gas customer.
Contacting Your Energy Supplier
If you are struggling to pay for energy or think you may get into difficulty, contact your supplier.
Ofgem has rules in place that mean your supplier must offer payment plans you can afford and that you can ask for ‘emergency credit’ if you use a prepay meter and can’t top up. Suppliers must work with you to agree on a payment plan you can afford under these rules.
You can ask for:
- a review of your payments and debt repayments
- payment breaks or reductions
- more time to pay
- access to hardship funds
- advice on how to use less energy
- Priority Service registration – a free support service if you are a vulnerable person.