This article covers a range of free measures as well as information on government energy grants, such as The Warm Home Discount, The Green Homes Grant, The Winter Fuel Payment, The Cold Weather Payment, and more.
Winter is coming, along with the inevitable surge in outgoings because of heating and more time spent indoors. Are you dreading seeing your bills go up this winter? Not to worry – we’ve put together a list of sure-fire ways you can save yourself some money as it gets colder.
1. Read your metre
This tip may seem like an obvious one to many, but the first thing recommended to do is to keep a regular eye on your meter readings. Many customers pay little attention to their bill each month, taking for granted that their provider is billing them accurately and fairly. This is not always the case.
Unless you have a smart meter or are sending out monthly readings to your supplier, you’re almost certainly receiving estimated bills. An easy way to know if this is the case is if the bill you receive is for exactly the same amount each month. If this is the case, reading your meter could entitle you to credit which can be taken off future bills if you paid for more than you used.
It may be, then, that if you’re paying too much for your energy bill it’s because you’re being overcharged for the energy you’re using. You wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last to fall victim!
2. Upgrade your home – Renewable Heat Incentive & Green Homes Grant
If you want your home to be running efficiently, it’s important you make sure it’s up-to-date and not wasting energy with outdated technology and appliances. This may sound like an expensive process, but the government has in place schemes such as the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Green Homes Grant to help homeowners install energy efficient improvements in their homes.
Energy efficient improvements could mean insulating your home to reduce heat loss and the amount of energy you use or installing low-carbon heating to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide your home produces. You could get a voucher covering two-thirds of the cost of eligible improvements (up to £5,000) or 100% up to £10,000 if you receive certain benefits.
3. Take advantage of energy schemes
There are a number of government-funded incentives in place that are available, particularly to vulnerable people, that it’s important to know whether you’re eligible for and to take advantage of them when you can. These are the three schemes you should look out for:
- The Warm Home Discount
- The Cold Weather Payment
- The Winter Fuel Allowance
Find out full details about these government funded schemes and more useful tips here.
