Despite summer 2023 not giving us the weather we deserved often, it’s reluctantly time to start thinking ahead towards winter and, like 2022, for many of us, that will mean keeping a keen eye on energy bills.
The Ofgem energy price cap is due to drop soon, moving from £2,074 in July to £1,923 from October 1 till December 31 2023.
While this is a significant reduction from both the April 2023 price cap of £3,280 and the Energy Price Guarantee of £2,500 put in place over Winter 2022, it will still mean higher-than-average bills for many.
When the price cap was first introduced in January 2019, the typical annual household energy bill was £1,137 per annum for average use.
The term’ price cap’ can be slightly misleading in that it is not a cap on the amount you can pay but the amount a supplier can charge you per kilowatt hour.
For example, this means the new price cap of £1,923 will work out at £0.27 per kWh for electricity.
Fortunately, there are a few things households can do now to help prepare for higher-than-average winter energy bills.
How to prepare for Winter energy bills
Helpfully, the folks at energy company OVO have compiled a few helpful tips on managing energy use and how much households could save by making some minor changes to their energy habits.
Greig Millar, OVO Energy Expert, said: ‘There’s so many simple but really effective things we can all do to improve our home’s energy efficiency and reduce bills.
‘As it starts to get colder outside, now’s the perfect time to take simple, affordable action like bleeding your radiators and draught-proofing windows and doors, to prepare for winter and start saving money.’
Turn down your boiler flow temperature
Cost to implement: Free
Potential saving: £65 per year
Turning down the temperature of your boiler flow can be a simple way that households can save money on energy bills.
OVO say, ‘Many condensing combi boilers are burning more gas, generating more emissions, and costing households more than they need to because they’re set to 70-80°C.
‘These boilers should be set to a flow temperature of 60°C to increase the chances of them running at their optimum efficiency.
‘Turning down a single setting will make your boiler work more efficiently, saving around £65 a year for the average household.’
Bleed your radiators
Cost to implement: Free
Potential saving: £90 per year for a typical household
Bleeding your radiators should be undertaken periodically to ensure they work at peak efficiency – a brilliant way to prepare for the winter.
Radiators that require bleeding usually run cold at the top but warm at the bottom.
This is caused by trapped air, which means that your heating system has to work harder to raise your home’s temperature – potentially increasing bills.
Greig Millar says, ‘My recommendation is to bleed your radiators once a year – all you need is a radiator key and you can follow a step-by-step guide here.’
Install a smart meter
Cost to implement: Free
Potential saving: Variable (dependent on energy habits)
Smart meters can help you navigate your energy use much more efficiently by spotting which items cost you the most to run.
All you have to do to get them installed is book an appointment through your energy supplier.
Lower the radiator valves in less-used rooms by 3 degrees
Cost to implement: Free
Potential saving: £136 per year per household
Having the radiators blasting in rooms you aren’t spending a lot of time in can be particularly bad for your energy bills and an inefficient way to heat your home.
Checking what your radiators are set to before winter arrives is a prudent strategy for combating excessive bills.
Insulate with window film
Cost to implement: Usually around £7-10
Potential saving: £43
If you live in an older property, your building may not be as well insulated as newly built properties.
To help combat this, adding window film to any single-glazed windows can help keep heat in the property and lower your annual bills.
Draught-proof windows and doors
Cost to implement: £4.79 for two rolls of draught-excluder tape
Potential saving: £50
One way to prevent heat from escaping through door gaps is to use draught excluders. In addition to doors, windows can also benefit from draught-excluder tape.
This is a cost-effective and efficient solution to save energy and money. By sealing off draughts and retaining warm air, you can reduce your energy consumption to heat your home.
Convert to LED light bulbs
Cost to implement: £2.50 per bulb
Potential saving: £7 per bulb
While switching to LED light bulbs will incur a slight cost, the amount you could save on your bills will far outweigh the initial expense.
OVO say, ‘An energy-saving bulb uses less electricity to give the same amount of light as a traditional bulb.
‘Energy Saving Trust worked out that if you replaced all your bulbs with LED bulbs, you’d reduce your carbon emissions by up to 40kg a year.
‘For every 60 watt bulb in your home, you could save up to £7 per bulb, per year.’
Uncover leaky spots with an energy assessment visit
Cost to implement: from £25
Potential saving: Variable based on home and energy habits
Having an energy professional asses your home for it’s efficiency can help save you on your energy bills.
Many suppliers, like OVO, offer the services of an energy professional at a reasonable cost.
According to OVO, ‘Citizens Advice suggests upgrading the UK’s leaky homes to an EPC rating of C could save households up to £951 per year.
They go on to say Energy experts can ‘provide an expert assessment and personalised Home Health Report for your home, with advice to save energy and money.
‘You’ll also get a brand-new Energy Performance Certificate, that could be worth up to £120.’
Check your boiler is working efficiently
Cost to implement: from £89 per boiler service
Potential saving: If it saves you a replacement, anywhere from £1,150-£5,500
Having your boiler break down in the depths of winter can be an absolute nightmare.
As such, ensuring it has been serviced before the colder months is a brilliant way to prevent any disasters from striking and get ahead of any potential problems.
MORE : Martin Lewis’ top energy bills advice – from knowing your debit cycle to working out the best deal
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