UK Prices Set to Rise…
2022 saw sharp rises in energy prices across the whole of the United Kingdom. The energy bill support scheme (EBSS) took some of the burden with £400 automatically funded from the government to households in order to help with energy costs. However, from the 1st of April 2023 this will come to an end and prices are set to rise again. Households could see a further 20% added to their monthly bills.
That said, the Energy Price Guarantee has been extended for an additional 3 months until June. Hopefully bridging the gap through to the summer, when most of us (hopefully) won’t be using the heating. This is the UK though, so who knows what our weather will bring!
The Energy Price Guarantee limits the amount suppliers can charge per unit of energy used. The EPG will bring the average typical household in Great Britain to £2500 per year.
From the 1st of April to the 30th of June, the Ofgem energy price cap level is £3,280 annually. This is what you would pay if the EPG was not in place.
Watching the Pennies…
The UK has a vast number of older housing stock. Many of which are poorly insulated and are draughty homes leaking energy like sieves. Older regulations were less strict on the amount of insulation a home required at the point of build. This teamed with energy prices which were so cheap, it was never much of an issue for homeowners who could leave the heating on or throw more coals on the fire.
Over the years things have changed. As global warming takes a hold, we have learned we can’t continue burning fossil fuels without affecting the environment. Newly built homes have much stricter regulations regarding thermal efficiency. When built to a good standard, they are far more energy efficient than they used to be.
It’s not just global warming that’s at the front of people’s minds, but also the cost of energy. Huge price rises are putting families under pressure to find ways to save money on their energy consumption. It’s not just for heating though, also overall usage is coming under the spotlight, whether that be using more energy efficient appliances or changing the way they operate their households in general. There are numerous things you can do to reduce your energy consumption. Whether you wish to do this to play your part in easing global warming or if you are looking to reduce your energy costs.
Bigger Picture Thinking…
Steps to reduce energy consumption can be as simple as turning a TV off, not just leaving it on standby. We understand on an individual basis, this is not likely to make a noticeable difference to your energy bills. As a collective though, if the nation were to do this we could reduce the countries global warming impact. Small steps taken by millions of people, could make a huge difference. It’s often the small steps taken individually that lead to bigger changes collectively.
Every small energy saving step you take in your home will add up over a year. It might not be a huge amount but it could be enough to treat the family to a nice takeaway or towards a family day out. At the end of the day, that extra money is better in your pocket than with the energy companies. If you’re not bothered about the amount you could save each year, just remember, that money is going to the energy firm and a small amount of money from everyone soon adds up and turns into hundreds of thousands of pounds if not more. All this money collectively could be going to your local economy and supporting individuals like yourselves in their local businesses instead.
Small Steps to Change…
Some other things you can do to reduce your energy bills are:
- Turn off lights in rooms you’re not in.
- Turn down boilers and hot water temperature.
- Only boil the amount of water you need & switch it off just before it boils, after all who drinks water at 100c anyway. Tea will still brew nicely at 80c and it’s amazing how much energy you can save by not heating that water the extra 20c.
- ‘Shut that door’ as my mum would say. It sounds daft, but when anyone leaves my house I tell them to get out quick and close the door. Get your coat on, open the door step out and close it straight away. You’ve paid to heat the room, don’t let that blast of cold get in!
- Look at the energy ratings of appliances. I’m not suggesting you go out and buy new appliances for the sake of it, but when it’s time to renew things take note of the energy rating and think how much it could save you in the long run.
- Avoid using the tumble dryer when you can. I’m guilty of this especially in winter. Try to dry a decent amount at once. Drying on radiators can cause moisture issues in a property and covering the radiator with wet clothes is costly as it blocks the radiator from heating the room as it should.
- The same goes for washing machines. Make sure you have a decent load in at once and with the effectiveness of detergent, it’s just as effective to run on a cooler wash.
- Spend less time in the shower, just cutting showers by 1 minute can make a difference on energy and water consumption.
- Limit the number of baths you take.
- Only run the dishwasher when its full, avoid running when partially filled.
Investing in Changes to Save…
The above are just a few examples of steps you can make right now. This is not an exhaustive list and if you look around your home I’m sure you could find other ways to reduce your energy usage. Some other ways to tackle energy consumption require an initial outlay, but can be worth it in the long run. Both for energy savings and for the comfort within your home. Some steps you can take are to look at:
- Draught proofing.
- Top up insulation. Make sure if doing this that it’s done effectively. it’s one thing to top it up but it needs to also be fitted correctly, look for a professional who can advise on this.
- Look for areas that might not be insulated at all, Underfloor insulation is an area that’s often overlooked but could save you 20-30% on energy bills and make your home more comfortable, a large number of older homes have suspended timber floors that are uninsulated, you can learn more about this on our website : https://greenhorizonenergy.co.uk/underfloor-insulation/
- Insulate water tanks or heating pipes. Uninsulated pipes can lose a lot of heat before they even reach your radiators. If those pipes are running in a cold floor void a lot of that heat is wasted.
Don’t Forget…
There are lots of small steps you can take now to start saving instantly, some bigger steps that will take more thought and some investment but ultimately will give greater energy savings overtime. Whatever you do, remember every little counts and its money in your pocket at the end of the day.
