Published: 08/10/2021
Many of us are still working from home. With more time at home, winter heating bills are likely to be bigger than usual. Now’s the time to find ways to cut your heating costs.
Targeting your heating bills at the source is usually the best way to save. Who’s your provider? How much are you paying? Are there cheaper options?
The internet makes answering these questions easy. Fill a few details into a comparison website, such as USwitch and you’ll get a list of quotes to find the best deal by comparing different providers.
Don’t switch straight away: your current provider may negotiate your rates if they hear you’re considering switching. Call them, explain you’ve found a better quote and see if they will offer you the same or better. Doing that, you’ll get the best rate on the market without even switching.
If they won’t give you a better quote, it’s time to switch to a different provider or even let Look after my bills do it for you.
If you don’t track your spending it’s impossible to know whether you’re overpaying. Money management apps can help.
Add your bank accounts to the app, and they track your finances, making sure regular bills aren’t out of line. If a bill is higher than usual, they notify you so you can check and prevent higher expenses occurring again.
Emma has a built-in price comparison function. Teamed up with MoneySupermarket.com the app informs you when there are cheaper options available. You can even switch providers within the app. It’s free to download, so there’s nothing to lose by giving it a go!
Smart meters measure your gas and electricity usage, providing near-instant energy usage updates. You can see straight away when lots of energy is being used on heating, so you can turn your thermostat down if the reading is high.
You will be billed for your exact use rather than estimated, as they send automatic updates to your supplier, potentially saving you money — providing you’ve used less than the estimate.
Smart heating systems are a clever, efficient and modern way to save money and energy. They adjust energy use based on your routine and the weather, ensuring energy isn’t used when it’s warm outside or if no one’s home.
Tado’s Smart Thermostat notifies you if windows are open or it detects unusual behaviour from your heating system, so you can address possible problems immediately they happen.
They’re good for saving energy, the environment and your cash!
Once installed and the initial cost paid, they pay for themselves possibly saving up to a third on your bills and even more through the Government’s feed in tariff.
Keeping your thermostat on more consistently, at lower comfortable temperatures is recommended to avoid your boiler over-working and save money. Turning your thermostat up high uses more energy when the heating hasn’t been on.
It could be costing you as much as £350 per year if it is old and inefficient !
Some signs your boiler is past it are, your radiators take a long time to heat up, a bad odour, leaks and excessive noise. The Heating Hub has valuable information on boilers and costs.
Your thermostat could be unnecessarily high Covering radiators with anything restricts the flow of heat around the room. Radiator heat gets absorbed by obstructing items, making it harder for the rest of the room to warm up.
Insulating your loft and walls will keep the heat in.
Cavity wall insulation is relatively simple to install. Insulation can be installed for solid walls too. The upfront cost is higher than for cavity walls, but it will save you big money on heating in the long run.
Cold drafts are your heating bills’ enemy! Install draft proof strips around window frames to stop the cold air getting in. Putting a doormat outside your front door can help prevent the outside chill coming in from underneath.
1Plus1 offer personal loans backed by a guarantor, subject to both the borrower and guarantor meeting our affordability and credit worthiness criteria.
If you think you may be interested in a 1Plus1 Loan, please give us a call on 0330 1200 313 and one of our friendly staff will be more than happy to discuss the process with you, or start your application here.
Last updated: 27/09/2022