As the cold snap looks set to continue, we look at ways to stay warm while keeping your energy bills low. One simple swap could save you £300 on your energy bills this winter
With the chillier weather taking over many parts of the country, people are looking for ways to stay warm without breaking the bank.
And with millions of Brits working from home, experts are sharing some handy tips for saving on energy bills during the day and night.
One of the best ways to save money on energy bills is to have the heating on less – easier said than done when it’s so cold outside.
But an electric blanket is much cheaper than having the central heating on and could help you save a fortune. And it’s not the only way you could be saving money.
READ MORE: DWP Cold Weather Payments could land in accounts – here’s who’s eligible
Operating a 100W electric blanket will cost approximately 1 to 3p per hour compared to around £1.50 per hour for gas central heating.
In addition to this you can try swapping your oven for a slow cooker or air fryer. Running a slow cooker can cost around 5p per hour or less, whereas an oven can be 15p or more per hour, though this varies by model and energy prices. An air fryer costs 0.22p per hour but cooks things much quicker.
Meanwhile, millions of people on a low income could be eligible for financial assistance from the Government to help them pay their winter energy bills. The £150 Warm Home Discount is paid to customers who are on certain means-tested benefits before the end of April.
Cold weather payments of £25 are made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people on certain benefits every time the temperature drops, or is predicted to fall, below zero for seven consecutive days and runs from 1 November to 31 March every year.
It’s also worth contacting individual energy providers as these have their own support schemes to help financially vulnerable customers.
8 ways to cut energy bills:
- Turn your heating down one degree
- Maintain your boiler
- Seal drafts
- Use an electric blanket for parts of the day or overnight
- Try a slow cooker
- Check whether you could get the Warm Home Discount
- Could you be eligible for Cold Weather payments?
- Speak to your energy company and ask about its hardship fund
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