AN EXPERT has revealed the one appliance you should avoid using this winter in order to save money on your energy bills.
Andy Ellis from Posh.co.uk shared the top tip which could save you up to £50 on your household bills every single year.
He said homeowners can identify “effective ways” to save over the “difficult” winter months by looking over their energy consumption at home.
His top tip is to give the power-hungry tumble dryer a miss as this could save you up to £50 each year.
These heat-generating appliances are often expensive to use, with some costing as much as £1.54 every cycle, according to Ideal Home.
Instead, he recommends air-drying your clothes as a thrifty alternative that could help you save precious pounds.
He also advised homeowners to make other smart moves such as insulating rooms and blocking draughts to help cut costs.
This way, Andy said, families can enjoy a warm and comfortable home without incurring any costs to their heating bills.
He also stressed the significance of efficient heating, saying: “Maximising the efficiency of your heating when it’s on is essential for families to stay warm during winter without raising energy costs.”
This comes as energy bills rose this week, with the typical family now expected to spend £1,738 a year on their energy costs, up £21 under the new Ofgem price cap.
Only those on variable bills will be affected but your bill could go up more or less than this depending on your usage.
However, several suppliers are offering £75 in free cash which could help cover costs over the chilly period.
Most will pay you money if you recommend the provider to your friends or family.
These “refer a friend” programmes will pay you every time someone you know uses your unique link or code to change supplier.
Often there is no limit on how many people you can refer, so you could pocket hundreds of pounds.
British Gas, for example, offers a £75 Amazon gift card every time you refer a friend and they switch both their electricity and gas to the energy giant.
If they swap just one of either gas or electricity, they will be rewarded with just £35.
ScottishPower will pay you £60 in energy credit if you refer a friend, while Octopus Energy offers £50 each to both you and your friend if you refer them.
Other ways to save on energy costs include applying for an energy grant, which several firms offer to struggling customers.
Worth up to £2,000 a year, you can apply at suppliers such as EDF, E.ON, and Octopus Energy if you are a customer at any of these providers.
Anyone, however, can apply for help via British Gas’ scheme, even if you’re not a customer.
You can also save money by applying for a home-improvement grant to help better insulate your home.
For example cavity-wall insulation could cut your costs by £240 a year, while adding a jacket to your water tank could save £40, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Some insulation measures are expensive but if you are on a low income and your home has a high energy rating, you could be eligible for grants or free help.
Switching to a fixed tariff could also help you save hundreds of pounds a year on your energy costs.
This comes as energy bills are expected to rise again in April, according to analyst Cornwall Insight.
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
