7 Tips To Reduce Your Energy Bills

A recent study conducted by the UK Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) found that 85% of households use gas central heating as their method of warming their homes, meaning approximately 4 million UK homes go without central heating each year.

Although 95% of UK households own a central heating system, many people are using alternative methods of heating due to expensive fuel or boiler repair bills that they cannot afford.

Fuel Poverty

Fuel poverty is determined by three factors: energy efficiency, energy prices and income. According to the Government’s Annual Fuel Poverty Report 2020, approximately 2.4 million households were estimated to be in fuel poverty.

Energy efficiency is a key driver of fuel poverty, as low efficiency increases fuel costs. This is why iHeat fit only A-rated efficient boilers, to ensure fuel costs are low. Get a fixed quote with 0% finance available for 2 years here.

In order to fight high energy prices for lower income households, the government introduced the Default Tariff Cap, which limits the standard rate that energy suppliers can charge for default tariffs when you pay for your gas or electricity in advance using a prepayment meter.

However, this was met with criticism when energy experts claimed the cap rate was still over £300 more than the cheapest energy deal on the market.

Finding the cheapest deal became much more difficult when The Big Six energy providers were no longer the only ones available.

Smaller energy providers can offer some really affordable deals, however, there is always a possibility of these businesses going under due to the low prices they offer.

If you’re looking for a more reliable but affordable energy company, try comparing the prices of well-established medium sized providers such as Shell Energy, Co-operative Energy, OVO Energy and Utility Warehouse.

Tips on How To Reduce Your Energy Bills

According to Wondrwall, over 50% of what you spend annually on energy typically goes towards heating and hot water, so making cuts where possible is essential.

Learn to Control Your Central Heating

Learning how to control your heating system’s settings to deliver optimum temperature in accordance to your lifestyle can also save you lots of money on your bills. The Centre for Sustainable Energy recommends programming your boiler to turn the heating on 30 minutes before you wake up in the morning but at a lower temperature.

By reducing your room temperature by just 1°C, a change you may not even notice, could cut your bills by up to £75 a year in an average home. Public Health England suggests 18°C as the minimum temperature of your living room.

Insulate your home

Insulate your home to reduce heat loss through your walls and loft. Almost a third of heat lost in uninsulated homes escapes through the loft/roof. Although loft insulation isn’t cheap, it can save you lots of money in the long run by cutting your heating bills by £160 a year.

Stop the draughts

Cushion draught excluders are a cheap way to block draughts and accessorise your home and can be bought for as little as a pound. Self-adhesive rubber seals for doors and windows are also relatively cheap and easy to install.

Swapping your single glazed windows to double or triple glazed also reduces heat lost through the glass.

If this is too costly, even closing your curtains at night can help to create a protective layer of insulation, but make sure to open them during the daytime to make the most of heat from the sun.

Stop blocking the radiator

Although having your sofa next to the radiator seems like a great idea, your sofa is in fact absorbing heat that could be warming the rest of the home.

Similarly, letting clothes dry and curtains rest on the radiators is preventing the hot air from circulating freely. Reflective radiator panels are also a cheap way to bounce the heat back off the walls into the room.

Replace your boiler

If your boiler is over 10 years old, it may be time to upgrade to a newer, more efficient model. An A-rated boiler could potentially save you £350 a year. Click here for a fixed quote with 0% finance available for 2 years.

It is difficult to know exactly when you should replace your boiler, and none of us want to spend money if we don't have to, so read our advice on when we feel you should consider replacing your boiler with a newer model.

Service your boiler regularly

Although paying for an annual service costs money, having your boiler serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer such as an iHeat engineer will ensure it is running efficiently and help to prevent it from breaking down, in turn saving you a potential hefty replacement cost.

Most boiler warranties also become invalid without a regular service, so take care of your boiler and it will take care of you.

Change your habits

Some simple changes to make to reduce your energy bill are:

• Switch appliances off instead of leaving them on standby as they can still consume 75% of the energy they use when turned on.

• Switch lights off when you leave the room.

• Unplug or turn off chargers even if they are not plugged into a device.

• Only boil as much water as you need.

• Use extra layers such as clothes or blankets to stay warm.

Broken Boiler?

Uh oh, boiler not working? Just when you can afford your heating bills, your boiler breaks! For many people, the idea of having to buy a new boiler and have it installed is very stressful, especially as the cold months start approaching and you need to keep yourself and your family warm.

At iHeat, we understand how stressful this can be, which is why we have created this simple survey to give you a fixed price quote with 0% finance available for 2 years and finance options of up to 10 years.

Get a quote