No matter which energy supplier you get your gas and electricity from, it is all the same stuff and comes from the same place. The change you will notice is the company that sends you the bill and the amount that they charge for your gas and electricity. Imagine buying a film on DVD. It doesn’t matter where you buy it from, the film is the same. The only difference is the amount you pay for it. The same is true for gas and electricity.
Gas and electricity discounts:
The easiest way to find the cheapest gas and electricity tariff is to use a price comparison service like the one provided by Make It Cheaper (in association with uSwitch). Suppliers offer a range of discounts depending on how you pay for your bill and which services you use. For example, if you take both gas and electricity from the same energy supplier, they will usually give you a dual fuel discount.
Cheapest energy payment methods:
If you pay by Direct Debit for your gas and electricity, the energy suppliers also offer discounts. Further savings can be made if you opt for online billing, where you receive your gas and electricity bills via email or the web, which saves the energy companies money and is also better for the environment as there are no paper bills.
Every customer is different and it is important to carry out a gas and electricity price comparison, but as a general rule:
Cheapest energy tariff = online billing + Direct Debit + dual fuel
Use less gas and electricity
The other way to save money on your gas and electricity bills is simply to use less of it. There are lots of ways of reducing your energy usage and people are starting to get very inventive. The good thing about being energy efficient is that you’re not only saving money, but you’re also helping the environment.
There are two main ways that you can reduce your energy usage in your home:
Make your home energy efficient
Making your home more energy efficient means that when you use energy, for example to heat a room, less of that energy is wasted by escaping through the roof, walls and windows. Changes to your home now will have a positive impact on your home energy usage for many years to come. There are also grants available for making your home more energy efficient.
- Use energy saving light bulbs
- Insulate your home
- Insulate your loft
- Wall cavity insulation
- Draught excluders
- Double glazing
Think more energy efficiently
In order to be as energy efficient as possible, you need to change the way you think about energy. Every time you turn your TV on, it has an impact. Simply by being more ‘energy aware’ you will see substantial changes in your energy usage. Key ways to reduce energy by changing your behavior include:
- Switch off lights when not in the room
- Keep doors closed
- Turn appliances off at the main, not using standby
- Turn down your thermostat by 1 degree
Individually, these changes may not appear to have a huge impact, but collectively, these small changes can really add up. When you start thinking with an ‘energy efficient’ mind, there are all sorts of changes that you can make, such as only filling a kettle with enough water for the number of drinks you are making.
See your energy efficiency working
A great way of seeing how your changes affect your energy usage and also your bills is with a device such as the Owl Energy Monitor. These simple devices are attached to your electricity meter and have a display which shows you how much energy you are using and how much it is costing. They really help to focus the mind and make you more energy efficient.