HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON ELECTRIC AND GAS BILLS IN UNITED KINGDOM

United Kingdom Office for National Statistics said the Consumer Prices index rose 8.8%. Trading Economics said the annual inflation rate in the United Kingdom increased to over 10% in July of 2022. It is the highest reading since 1982 because prices rose faster for utilities, 19.1%, and housing, 21%. So electricity is one of the most expensive utilities.
However, I have ten hacks that have helped me reduce my electricity by 40%, and my last month’s bills decreased by almost 50%. I believe my ten hacks can help families with young children like me, and here are ten ways to save money on your electric and gas bills in London.

• Switching off and unplugging electric home appliances:

 It might be easy and obvious, but many people forget to switch off and unplug electric home appliances that are not in use. Make sure your electronics are not in stand-by mode if running for a while. It will show up on your bills. It is called “vampire power.” So unplug appliances like coffee makers, deep frier, microwaves, and crook pots that draw electricity when plugged in. Vampire power is the electricity drawn from when the electric home appliances are turned off but still plugged in the switch. Vampire power can account for over 20% or more of the total electricity used at home and offices. 

• Water Tank:

For example, water boils from 210°F to 212°F (around 100°C). Once water is boiling at this degree, leaving the water tank plug on and plugged in the socket won’t make it hotter or make any difference – It will only cost more gas or electricity. Switch your water tank on a few minutes before your family want to prepare for their day. 

• Stoves:

The blue colour flames should always be what your gas stoves will emit, and that is a sign that shows your gas combustion is good. Orange or yellow signifies incomplete combustion, meaning the gas in the lines isn’t used to its full potential.

If your stove has many burners of different sizes, choose a burner that is smaller than the pot you are using to make sure that it is not putting off excess.

• Pressure cookers:

 Use pressure cookers whenever possible to lower your energy bills.

Ecoandbeyond. Co has consistently proven that pressure cookers can use 50 – 70% less energy, which is less on average than conventional cookware in the same cooking time. Argos sell good cost friendly ones you buy for your family.

• Use lids on your cookware (pots and pans.,e.g.) when cooking: 

When cooking without lids, heat escapes much more rapidly from open cookware. It is better to trap the heat by closing your cookware when cooking. Trapping the heat will reduce the cooking time by half and save you over 40% cooking time, reducing your electricity or gas by the same percentage. 

• Oven: 

If you have baking pans, you can ditch them and use glass or ceramic pans when baking or using your oven for cooking. Cooking wares like glass or ceramic pans enable you to decrease your oven temperature by 30°, and your meal will still cook just as quickly as you want. Secondly, opting to use a toaster oven instead of an entire oven means you will use less energy to cook the same meal. 

• Buy Solar Power bank: 

It will be a brilliant idea to buy solar power banks. Using it will allow you to use free (solar) energy to power most of your gadgets and save you a couple of pounds forever. I have used the one from Amazon for nearly a year and have not seen an electric bill saver like it. Many people switch their sockets on and leave their phones and gadgets on it for hours, and it will be helpful to go solar in that regard. 

• Washing Machine: 

One of the most expensive home electric consumers is the washing machine. In most homes, the washing machine drains the electricity when plugged on, and many don’t switch it off. Always switch off your washing machine and unplug it when it is not in use to avoid energy draining. You can also add no-wash days to your calendar, which will help you save a reasonable amount on your electric bills.

• Smart cloth drier: 

Try a solar cloth drier ( you can get a cheap indoor or outdoor clothesline in Argos or Ikea). I understand that without any investments, that will entail doing something different with your clothes drying. Stop using your cloth drier machine often and switch to an outdoor or indoor cloth line. Using a clothesline will save you approximately £20 weekly. 

• Windows-Doors and winter: 

Lower the temperature as long as you can without freezing the pipes. However, this doesn’t always work with my kind of family with very young children. But, you can have your ducts checked for leaks if your system is forced air. Thick curtains work; close your thick curtains and blinds at night to keep the heat inside your house. Secondly, close doors and heating ducts in rooms you don’t always use.

I hope this help, be saving money!

Happy money saving!