How to deal with rising UK energy bills?

According to the latest forecasts, millions of families throughout the UK will be impacted this winter by catastrophically high energy bills! Millions will face the threat of unpayable bills or a choice between heating and eating. Post-Covid demand in the UK and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has doubled the energy price cap from two years ago.

In April, energy bills for millions of households in the UK increased by almost 50%. The average household now pays an extra £700 annually for their energy. Moreover, the current energy cost will rise in October.

Officials have already stressed that the market is too volatile to predict the next cap for January (2023). The winter gas market prices could ‘significantly worsen’ the situation in poorer households.

With energy tariffs set to skyrocket again due to the increased price cap, it is no surprise that everyone is deeply concerned, especially the vulnerable and those in fuel poverty. It is not just a financial issue, it  will also hit the health and well-being of the elderly and disabled people who depend on life supporting appliances.

Sadly, it adds another dimension to heating or eating, which is – SURVIVING! Many energy companies are currently refusing to take on new customers, eliminating the ability to switch to another more competitive energy supplier.

Tough decisions, even rationing fuel supplies are likely, which will lead to power cuts? 

It’s not just the UK, many other countries all over Europe are in the midst of a deepening energy crisis (Check out the UK energy price cap timeline: Read more).

Serviceteam has been a leading service provider to London’s property management market since 2009. As a local property maintenance company, we understand the importance of energy conservation (however small) when the country is facing a massive energy crisis.

With our ‘13’ years of industry experience, our professional engineers understand all property maintenance procedures. Serviceteam continuously challenges standard procedures through creative solutions in response to anticipating clients’ demands. To avoid help with household energy bills, check out these tips that can help you make savings on your energy bills. 

Turning off all appliances on standby mode without disturbing settings, can save money annually. You may want to think about getting a standby saver or smart plug. Fortunately, some savings can be made by simply turning off every appliance that has always been on standby. 

Sorry kids but the time spent on you Playstation or XBox will have to be curtailed to help reduce Mum and Dad’s energy costs! 

Using your washing machine more carefully could save you more than £25 a year on your energy bill. When you put your washing machine on 30 degrees instead of 40 or 50, you can reduce your energy usage. Limit the number of machines washes you currently do per week.

Any reduction in usage will save money. Turn the machines off completely when you’re done washing. This will also save both energy and money. 

Dryers are very energy hungry and seriously contribute to energy bills. Avoid using a tumble dryer if possible. Dry as much washing as you can inside or out in the fresh air. It can give a saving of more than £50 a year. Remember back in the day when clothes lines were full of washing, well they’re making a come back. Why not give it a try?  

If you and other family members can their shower time to 4 a max instead of enjoying a long soak, you can save money on your energy bills. 

There have been recent reports from the Heating and hot water council that suggest households can save between 6% – 8% in energy costs by reducing the heat flow temperature of a condensing/combi boiler. Don’t confuse it with turning down your thermostat though.

Modern boilers have variable efficiencies between A-E on the SEDBUK (Seasonal Efficiency of Boilers in the UK), modern state of the art gas boilers use less fuel, which helps with the heating costs. 

Call servicetam and have your boiler serviced and its efficiency checked by our professional gas engineers. Prices are rising across the country, but at Serviceteam, we have reduced the cost of our Annual Boiler Service.

Our engineers will check your boiler and lower the flow temperature to allow the boiler to operate in, as near as possible, to ‘condensing mode’. They will also provide further instructions to keep your boiler running efficiently.

If your thermostat setting is not set conservatively it can mean more gas is being consumed unnecessarily. Setting your thermostat to somewhere between 18-21°c is ideal. Lowering the temperature by 1 degree can save up to £100 on your energy costs.

How well insulated is your home to keep the heat in and the cold out?

Where are those draughts coming from, is it the windows, doors floor boards etc. It couldn’t be more appropriate to ‘draft proof’ your property than now!

We’ve been accustomed to turning  up the heating to compensate for a draf – not anymore, the priority is to fix the draft stopping cold air entering your property! If the draft continues chilling your property, the heating stays on for longer than is necessary. Have you got loft insulation? If not this can be the cheapest way to insulate part of your property and stop heat (and your money) escaping through the roof!

Improving the insulation of any property can reduce your annual heating costs by approx 20% and help to keep your home energy efficient. 

Serviceteam understands how important it is to save energy and money during this energy crisis. So, get winter ready by avoiding any central heating breakdowns that can cost dearly. We hope these tips will help to save a few pounds on your energy costs?

Contact Serviceteam now if you need your boiler or heating appliances serviced before winter sets in.