Thursday 7 November 2013

Help with winter fuel bills....

I always worry this time of year about the winter fuel bills....A few weeks ago I got the email from British Gas telling me their prices were going up and in December we will get the quarterly bill...It is the most dreaded bill of the year...We're using more Gas for heating and more electricity because of using the tumble dryer more because the weather is always so wet....

Last year we qualified for the The Warm Home Discount scheme where we got £135 paid on the electricity bill because Ellie was 5 years old....This year she's 6 and we don't qualify.....

I've been reading up about how to save money on winter fuel bills and this is what I've came up with so far....

When making a brew only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need....

Make sure your washing machine is full and use a 30-degree cycle...


Turn the heating down if you're too hot - Turning down your home thermostat by 1ÂșC could reduce bills by 10%....

Make your home less draughty by sealing gaps in windows and doors and
close all curtains at dusk to keep the heat in....


Energy saving light bulbs last up to 10 times longer and can save round £45 over the lifetime of the bulb....


Make sure taps are fully turned off – a dripping hot tap can waste enough energy in a week to fill half a bath....


Switch lights off when you leave a room, even for a few minutes....


Turn appliances off standby and unplug mobile phones when they are charged....

And finally make sure you are claiming what you're supposed to be......

Warm Home Discount

Energy suppliers offer help to people on low incomes. If you are eligible you could get a £135 rebate on your electricity bill for winter 2013-14....


Winter Fuel Payment 

If you are a pensioner you could get £100-£300 to help pay your winter bills. You need to have been born on or before January 5, 1952 to get the winter fuel payment this year....


Cold Weather Payment

If you receive pension credit or other eligible benefits you could get a £25 payment if the temperature where you live drops to an average of 0°C or lower for seven days between November 1 and March 31, 2014....

6 comments :

  1. Sound advice Kim. Luckily we still qualify for the fuel allowance, it is a huge bonus. We have spent the last few weeks insulating our walls in a further attempt to keep warm and that has made a big difference x

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  2. I think a lot of people will appreciate this post - I'm definitely off to look if we qualify!! :)

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  3. Great advice Kim. There are so many who worry about switching on heating to keep warm.

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  4. Loads of great tips there, thank you. I'm terrible for getting the heating on as soon as it's chilly, so I will turn it down a notch!

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  5. Brilliant, brilliant tips. Thank you for sharing with PoCoLo x

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  6. Fantastic tips, I think the tip about mobile phone chargers and appliances on standby is a really good one, I'm sure that makes a big difference as they are all using energy even when they aren't being used.

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