Saving on your household bills

Paying energy and utility bills is one of the worst things about being an adult. We get no pleasure from spending hard-earned cash on intangible things like electricity or water – even though they’re much-needed. We only realise when there’s a power cut or the boiler goes wrong.

We’d all like to reduce the total of those monthly bills, and it can be quite simple to save a noticeable amount of money without doing too much. Here are some great ways to save on your household bills.

1. Switch things off. It sounds too obvious, but how often do people in your home leave lights on when they leave a room? And most of us leave all kinds of appliances on standby – the TV, laptop, games consoles, kitchen appliances… Every one of them is still using electricity.

There’s a gadget called a standby saver that will switch all appliances off at the click of a single button. It’s thought to save you around £40 a year.

2. Turn the heating down. Turning your thermostat down by one degree won’t make a noticeable difference to the temperature of your home, but one average it saves £75 a year. Look at reducing the heat of radiators in rooms that you don’t use much. It’s also worth turning your hot water down by a few degrees – saving more money without any noticeable difference.

3. Time your showers. Our water bills can often be a bit of a shock. Most of us know that showers use less water than baths, but it’s even better if you can keep each shower short and sweet.

One idea is to buy a shower timer – a waterproof clock that lets you set an alarm once your set shower time is up. While it can be tempting to luxuriate in the warm water, it’s costing you money! So set a four-minute limit and see how much you save.

4. Choose dual flush toilets. Think about how much water you’re literally flushing down the drain each day! A dual flush toilet can save a lot of money by giving you the option of doing a half flush, rather than empty the whole cistern every time.

5. Switch gas and electricity. One of the best ways to save on bills is to switch your gas and electricity contracts regularly. So many people don’t do it – but it can cut your bills by up to £300 a year. It’s a lot easier than you think. This Citizen’s Advice guide gives you all the details. It’s a shame we can’t switch water companies too!

Taking these five steps will make a big difference to your bills, which means you can spend your money on something much more interesting. Give it a go!