Five ways to save money on your energy bills

Saving money on your household energy bills is a lot easier and simpler than you may have first thought. 

By making some quick changes to your billing and heating routine you can get a lot more bang for your buck. 

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With more people working from home MoneySuperMarket have seen domestic gas and electricity usage increase.

Now the leading price comparison website is promoting five simple steps that can help reduce bills.

Getting a smart meter allows you to know how much energy you're using (PA)

Regular switching, paying by direct debit, opting for online billing, submitting monthly meter readings and getting a smart meter – all can help you reduce bills and provide you with a greater sense of control over your energy bills. 

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Though it might seem strange to start thinking about your energy bills with summer just round the corner, there’s never a wrong time to make sure you are energy smart.

With lockdown restrictions still in place, domestic energy demand is still higher now than at the same time in previous years, so we could expect spring and summer energy bills to be more expensive than normal.

“With this in mind, we’re encouraging Brits to follow five simple steps that will give them a greater sense of control over their energy bills and help them reduce their bills. 

Here are five ways to save money on your energy bills:

1. Switch regularly

If you haven’t switched for 12 months, then you are likely on a default or standard tariff, this means you will probably be paying hundreds more than you should be. 

By switching supplier you could save over £273.   

1. Pay by Direct Debit  

If you’re one of the 7.1 million households2 that is not paying their energy bills via direct debit, you might want to reconsider.

Not only is paying by direct debit easier, it will most likely be cheaper, because most suppliers often offer a discount to customers that pay by direct debit.

Recent developments have also made paying by direct debit more attractive. New Ofgem proposals concerning ‘in credit’ balances will require energy suppliers to automatically repay any direct debit customers that are more than 5 per-cent in credit, putting an end to customers having to request their money be repaid in the event that their account is in surplus.               

Switch to the best deals regularly to save money (PA)

1. Opt for online billing

Paperless or online billing isn’t just good for the environment and reducing clutter at home: it can also save you money on your bills.

Paperless tariffs are in the region of £40-45 cheaper per year than paper bills. 

1. Submit meter readings once a month       

By providing your energy supplier with regular meter readings you will ensure that you’re only paying for the energy you’ve used. The most convenient way to do this is online direct to your supplier (another benefit of online billing and account management).

If you don’t send regular readings, suppliers will have to send you estimated bills which could mean you could get charged more (or less) than you should be.

Recent estimates from Ofgem indicate that energy suppliers are sitting on £1.4 billion of customer money as a result of over billing.

1. Get yourself a smart meter     

If you haven’t got one already, get yourself a smart meter.

Although smart meters can’t save you money in isolation, the granular, live data they provide customers about their energy usage can help change behaviour and cut costs.

Simply ask your supplier if you can get a smart meter fitted (don’t worry, they are free and you won’t be cut off at all).

Once installed they will send meter readings every day back to your supplier, so meter readings and estimated bills can be a thing of the past.