Energy Saving Tips
Warm Home Discount (Gov UK)
You could get £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2023 to 2024 under the:
To qualify you need to either:
- Get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
- And/Or have a low income.
Winter Fuel Payment
You could be entitled to an annual one-off payment of £100-£300 depending on how old you are, who you live with and any benefits you receive.
If you’re over State Pension age – which is currently 66 years old – and receive the State Pension then you should be paid automatically.
Payments are usually made between November and December.
Other Help
You may be able to get other kinds of support, including:
- up to £900 in 3 separate Cost of Living Payments for households on means-tested benefits.
- a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment, to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment for 2023 to 2024.
- a £150 disability Cost of Living Payment for people who get certain disability benefits.
- help from the Household Support Fund from your local council.
If you live in a park, mobile or care home, or off the electricity grid
The way you get energy support will be different if you do not have a domestic electricity meter and contract with an electricity supplier.
For example, this could be because you live:
- in a park home
- in a care home
- on a houseboat
- in a mobile home
- on a farm
- off the electricity grid
You will still get support equivalent to £400 for your energy bills from the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
If you need to apply for your £400 discount
You may need to apply if your home:
- has a communal electricity supply
- has a non-domestic electricity connection
- does not have a contract with an electricity supplier
Apply for a discount if you’ve not already had a payment from the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Get help with the cost of living from your local council
You may be able to get help with essential costs from your local council. This is sometimes known as ‘the Household Support Fund’. This could help if you’re struggling to afford things like:
- energy and water bills
- food
- essential items
Your council may also offer food vouchers to families during the school holidays.
Who the Household Support Fund is for
Funding is aimed at anyone who’s vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials. You do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council.
If you get benefits, they will not be affected if you get a payment from a Household Support Fund scheme.
Find out about schemes in your area
Councils decide how to run their schemes. There may be differences in:
- eligibility criteria
- if or how you need to apply
- who money is given to
For example, some councils share out money through local charities and community groups and some limit household applications to one per year.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available
Help from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation
You might be able to get help for energy-saving improvements to your home if you either:
- claim certain benefits and live-in private housing (for example you own your home or rent from a private landlord).
- live in social housing.
You may get help with the cost of:
- insulation work, for example to your loft or cavity walls
- replacing or repairing your boiler – or other upgrades to your heating
If you claim benefits and live-in private housing
You might be eligible for help if you live in private housing and get one of the following benefits:
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Pension Savings Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Child Benefit
- Housing Benefit
If you own your house, it must have an energy efficiency rating of D, E, F or G to be eligible.
If you rent from a private landlord, the house must have an energy efficiency rating of E, F or G to be eligible. You must have the owner’s permission to do the work.
Use the energy performance certificate register to find your property’s energy efficiency rating, or ask your landlord.
Apply for help
Contact your local council to find out if they’re taking part in the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, or contact an energy supplier directly.
Energy Saving Tips
Keep an eye on your lights
- Turn lights off when you leave a room, but not at the expense of your safety – keep stairs and other areas well-lit to reduce your risk of falling.
- Replacing traditional light bulbs with LED bulbs will save you money.
Switch off appliances now and again
- Switch appliances off when they’re not in use rather than leaving them on standby. But you shouldn’t turn off your fridge or freezer, as this could mean your food goes off sooner than it should.
- Defrost your freezer every six months – this will ensure it runs efficiently.
Cut down your water bill
- Shower instead of taking a bath – a short shower can use a third of the amount of water needed for a bath. If it’s easier for you to take baths, consider not filling the tub all the way – the average full bath uses 80 litres of water.
- Fix any dripping taps – a dripping tap can waste the equivalent of half a bath a week and it’ll cost you extra if you’re on a water meter.
- Do the washing up in a bowl rather than under running water to save money. For hot drinks, only boil the amount of water you need.
Control the temperatures in your home
- Run the washing machine at a lower temperature – you can often do everyday washes at 30°C. Washing clothes at 30°C uses around 40% less electricity over a year than washing at higher temperatures.
- Use your heating controls, such as thermostats and timers, to heat your home without wasting energy.
- Make sure you keep your living room (or whichever room you use most) warm during the day while you’re at home at 21°C (70°F). Heat your bedroom to 18°C (64°F) before you go to bed. If there are rooms you don’t use, like a spare bedroom, turn off the radiators in them and close the doors.
- Keep radiators and heaters clear so hot air can circulate. Don’t forget to draw your curtains and tuck them behind radiators to minimise heat loss.
Have a look at your windows
- Make sure doors and windows are draught-proofed to stop heat from escaping. To do this, fit draught-proofing strips and draught excluders around doors, seal gaps around window frames and add covers to letterboxes and keyholes.
- Double-glazing also stops heat from escaping, as well as minimising noise from the outside – you could save money on your heating bills if you install it throughout your home. You can choose to double-glaze the rooms you use and heat most often to keep installation costs down.
Major energy saving changes for your home
- Insulating roof and loft spaces can really reduce heat loss in your home and save you over £200 per year. Most homes have some loft insulation but often not enough. Topping up your loft insulation will make your home warmer and save you money on your energy bills.
- If your home has cavity walls – a space between the inner and outer layers of brick – they can be insulated. Insulating your cavity walls will make your home feel warmer and in a typical home cavity wall insulation can save between £100-£200 a year.
References
For further information, please visit the below sites which we have used to source the information within this help guide:
Age UK
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/energy/energy-saving-tips/
Last updated: 10 April 2023
Energy saving tips to reduce energy bills
Viewed 07/07/2023
Gov UK
https://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills
Help with your energy bills
Viewed 07/07/2023
