How to stop wasting money on your energy bills

AGL Heating and Plumbing Engineers, based in St. Helens offers services for all aspects of gas work. Amongst many things we repair and install boilers, solar panels and new radiators… These services can help you reduce your energy bills. Many people waste money on their bills, but following our top tips can lead you to huge savings!

Change the way you pay

You could be wasting money on your bills, if you pay by cash or cheque. If you can, swap to online. Paying online is cheaper because: a lot of energy companies reserve their best deals exclusive for online customers; you can get a substantial discount by paying by monthly debit and viewing bills online can have monetary incentive. For example, Scottish and Southern Energy, offer up to £12 annual discount, for going paperless.

Regularly read meters

Always avoid estimated bills. This is when your energy suppliers guess the amount of energy you use in a year, and averages it out. But, you will nearly always pay for more than you need. So instead provide accurate meter readings. At minimum, check your meters once every three months and update your supplier accordingly.

Lots of energy is wasted by:

• Leaving electrical appliances on standby when they aren’t being used. The average house could save about £85, by switching plugs off. Also make sure you turn the central heating, and hot water off when you’re not in, and turn radiators off in rooms you’re not using. If the heating is on, closing doors and windows will also help make a difference.
  
• Overheating! If you can cope with your rooms being just one degree colder, you could save around £65 a year on heating cost. Putting on an extra layer, like a cardigan or jumper, and using a hot water bottle should help with this change. So turn things off or down!
• Washing clothes at high temperatures. Washing them at 30, instead of 40 degrees could shed £9 a year off energy bills. Also try ensure there are full loads in your washing machines and dishwashers, as this will reduce the amount of cycles you do.  
  
• Having baths. If you opt for a shower instead, less hot water will be used. Furthermore, installing a water-efficient shower head could save approximately £75 a year on energy bills, and an additional £90 on water bills, if you have a meter.
  
• Keeping old light bulbs. If you replace these with an energy saving version, you could save around £3 a year, or £55 over the bulb’s life. This may seem trivial, but if you consider the savings for all the bulbs over the years, it becomes more significant.
  
• Keeping old boilers. If your boiler is old, and you are part of a bigger house/ family, you should especially consider getting a new one installed. The upfront costs will be higher, but long-term this can be a big cost-cutter. Annual savings should be between £200-300.
  

Insulate and Double Glaze

Double-glazing windows can save you up to £165 a year. Again there are higher upfront costs, but some use ‘cling film,’ purchased from local DIY stores, as a cheap, but effective alternative.

¼ of heat is lost through un-insulated roofs. After two years your savings, will pay for the cost of initial insulation, and every year after you will benefit from lower bills. Long-term you would also benefit from insulating your walls and floors.

Living in areas surrounding St. Helen and interested in reducing your bills?

With over 20 years of experience AGL Heating and Plumbing Engineers will be more than happy to assist you with services, such as boiler installations, to help reduce your bills. If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us here.