HOUSEHOLDS around the country are set to face higher energy bills this winter after the new price cap comes into effect on October 1 – but there are easy changes you can make to keep costs down.
The energy price cap will rise from the current rate of £1,568 a year to £1,717.
This means the average household paying by direct debt for dual fuel (electricity and gas) will see their annual bill go up by £149, or around £12 a month – a 10% increase.
But bear in mind the exact amount you pay can be higher or lower depending on your usage, and the cap is reviewed every three months, so it can still go up or down.
Around 29million households are on standard variable tariffs which are affected by price cap changes, according to Ofgem.
The energy regulator said the price a supplier can charge for gas will rise from 5.48p per kWh today to 6.24p from October 1.
And the price of electricity will rise from 22.36p per kWh to 24.50p, Ofgem said.
Standing charges, which cover things like maintaining the network and operational costs, will rise to 31.66p from 31.41p a day for gas and from 60.12p to 60.99p for electricity.
You have to pay a standing charge for being connected to the grid, no matter how much energy you use.
To help you plan your spending over the winter months, we have spoken to Nicholas Auckland, heating and energy expert at Trade Radiators.
He shared some easy changes you can make in each room of your home to cut your energy bills by up to £400, based on the three months from October 1 to December 31, before the next price cap comes into force.
His tips include switching to a different appliance or changing the way you use some of your existing gadgets.
All the changes Nicholas shared are based on the new price cap.
The appliances that eat up the most energy in the living room are TVs and games consoles, although these are often found in other rooms too, such as in bedrooms.
Here is the breakdown of energy consumption for some of the main appliances, as explained by Nicholas.
TV: If a TV uses 100W of energy, then it would cost roughly 20p a day if it’s on for eight hours, and £6.20 for a 31-day month.
If a home has four televisions on for four hours a day, this would work out at £24.80 per month.
Games console: Games consoles still use energy even when they’re on standby, which is a major factor towards the cost, Nicholas said.
Different types of consoles use different amounts of energy, however the expert said Playstation tends to use more than an Xbox.
On average, they can use around 150-300 watts, but a 200W games console would cost roughly 37p per day if used for five hours.
This works out at £11.47 per 31-day month, and it would be doubled to £22.94 per month if your home has two.
Electric heater: A high energy 2kW electric heater can cost 49p per hour, so £2.49 for just six hours of usage.
If you have an electric heater on for a 31-day month, it will cost you £77.19.
Nicholas said: “Electric heaters are more expensive to run generally than a gas boiler and radiators.”
Recommendations: Use a heated blanket instead of an electric heater.
A heated blanket uses about 100-150W, so if it was on for the same duration as the electric heater above (six hours), then it would be just 22p to run per day, making a saving of £2.27 per day, and £70.37 per month.
This applies to any room including a bedroom, where using a heated blanket is likely most common.
In a kitchen, the main appliances consuming energy are fridge freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, ovens and dishwashers.
Here are Nicholas’ estimates of how much they cost to run based on the new price cap – including some recommendations to save a few pounds on your bills.
Fridge freezers: As they have to stay on all the time, fridge freezers use roughly 1.2kWh per day.
This works out at 29p a day or £8.99 per 31-day month.
Washing machine: A 2kW machine running a full load for an hour costs roughly 49p per load, which would work out at £7.35 if ran 15 times in one month.
Homes that wash for an hour every day will see it cost £15.19 per 31-day month.
But keep in mind that some washing machines will run for longer, so this will bring the cost up.
Tumble dryer: A 3kW dryer running for one hour costs roughly 74p per load.
This works out at £11.10 if run 15 times in one month, or £22.94 if run every day in a 31-day month.
It also must be noted that tumble dryers often take much longer than one hour to successfully dry clothes – with some of them taking over two hours, meaning higher costs.
Oven: Electric ovens use around 2-3 kW, so having one on for an hour works out at roughly 61p – or £4.27 weekly.
If you have it on for an hour a day, every day for a 31 day month, it would cost £18.91.
And if you’re cooking a lot, this will cost even more, Nicholas said.
Dishwasher: A dishwasher uses roughly 1-1.5 kWh per cycle, which is around 24p, so if you’re putting on a cycle every single day, then it would cost £7.44 per 31 day month.
Recommendations: Air drying your clothes instead of using a tumble dryer “will save a substantial amount of money”, Nicholas said – but you’ll need to be wary of excess condensation caused by drying clothes indoors.
He added: “I recommend opening windows, or putting on a dehumidifier while drying to speed up the process and do a more beneficial job.”
The expert said you should also only wash full loads for a full cycle to avoid wasting energy, adding that if you only have a couple of items to wash, you should either wait until you have a full load or run a quick 15-20 minute wash instead.
He said: “This will save a lot of energy and money in the long run by minimising the amount of full washes you do.”
Another tip to save money once the price cap rise comes into place is using an air fryer instead of an oven as these appliances are more energy efficient.
Nicholas explained: “A 1kW air fryer will cost around 25p an hour, and you’ll likely need it on for just minutes at a time.
“If you do all your cooking in the air fryer for one week and you’re a single person household, then this could work out at 25p a week, which is cheaper than running a full oven for an hour.
“This is why so many people have decided to switch to using air fryers full time.”
This is £4.02 cheaper weekly compared to using an oven – and the savings add up to around £16.08 monthly.
He also said that if you boil water with a kettle and then use it to wash your plates and cutlery by hand, this could also help you save money.
“Heating 1ltr of water costs roughly 3p when using a kettle, so using this to wash your plates and cutlery means that you’re saving 21p per day,” Nicholas explained.
If you compare these costs to the price of running a dishwasher, you could save £9.30 per month.
BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity.
You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs.
Divide this figure by 12, and you’ll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1.
Nicholas said his heated blanket tips also apply to the bedroom, but also shared more changes you can implement to save money.
These include opting for thicker bedding such as heavy duvets and blankets that can reduce the need to have your electric heater, radiator or heating on for too long.
He said you should also remind to set a time on your electric heater or radiator so that it’s not on when you don’t need it.
In addition to saving money, this is also a key safety element, Nicholas said, as you should never leave an electric heater on overnight unattended.
He added: “If you’re looking to buy an electric heater, buy one with a thermostat and timer options so that it can be used optimally and safely.”
Nicholas said the main ways to save money in the bathroom are showing for a shorter length of time or using cooler water.
This is the breakdown of costs the expert shared, based on the new price cap.
Electric showers: An electric shower of 9.5kW running for 20 minutes per day would cost roughly 78p per day.
This works out at £24.18 per 31-day month.
However, it’s important to note that some households have more residents and more showers, so their consumption will likely be higher.
If you had two showers, and each was ran for 20 minutes per day, then it would be £1.56 per day.
This works out at £48.36 per 31 day-month.
And if everyone in a four-person household used the shower for 20 minutes per day, then it would cost £3.12 per day, and £96.72 per 31 day month.
Recommendations: Showering for 10 minutes instead of 20 would save 39p per shower, and showering for five minutes would save roughly 58p, said Nicholas.
A four-person household would spend around £71.92 a month if showering for five minutes a day – a saving of £24.80.
And the reason why showering in cooler water can help you save money is because less electricity is required to heat up the water to a lower temperature.
Nicholas also shared some more general energy saving tips, including unplugging devices when they’re not in use.
He said: “Unplug devices when they’re not in use. Standby mode still uses power, so unplugging them completely is a great way to save money, and also safer in terms of electrical/fire safety.”
The expert also recommends replacing standard lights with LED lights as they use 80% less energy than halogen or incandescent bulbs.
He said installing a smart meter from your energy provider can help you monitor how much energy you’re using and also work out which appliances use more energy.
Finally, Nicholas said it’s important to speak to your energy provider so you can find the right tariff for you.
He told The Sun: “Some homes will find it cheaper to be on a variable tariff, while some will find it cheaper to be on a set tariff.
“If you have a smaller home with less residents, a variable tariff could be best for you.
“The majority of decent energy providers will help you find the cheapest price possible”.
THERE'S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
If you find you are still struggling with bills, the Household Support Fund could be an option for you.
This cash is handed out by local councils across England – each has its own criteria – but it is usually reserved for those on a low income or benefits.
Contact your local council to find out if you could qualify.
You should also get in touch with your energy provider as firms offer grants to customers who are struggling with bills.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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