Although the energy cap was cut in October, our winter fuel bills could still be unexpectedly high, so it pays to reduce usage if you can.
Fitting self-adhesive foam strips around your windows and doors can save around £60 per year by preventing draughts, and consider keyhole covers and letterbox brush strips, too.
Putting your sofa in front of a radiator will absorb heat that could be warming the rest of the room, so consider moving it if possible, Flowers added. “Cover a thin sheet of card with tinfoil and place it behind your radiators to reflect the heat back into the room. Otherwise buy ready-made foil insulation.”
Turn off radiators in unused rooms and close the door to stop cold air circulating throughout your home. “Curtains prevent heat loss at night but open them during the day so that the sun can do some of the work,” she said.
Set your main room thermostat between 18°C and 21°C. “Turning it down just one degree can save around 10 percent on your heating bills, an average of £115 a year”
Get your heating right for bedtime, too, Flowers suggested. “Set it to start 15 minutes before you wake up and turn off 30 minutes before bed.”
Low income households should automatically receive a £300 Cost of Living Payment between October 31 and November 19, 2023.
This is the second of three payments totalling up to £900 supporting eligible people on means-tested benefits including Pension Credit, tax credits and Universal Credit.
Eligible pensioner households will also receive a further £300 payment later this year as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment.
If still struggling, the British Gas Energy Trust offers face-to-face advice, financial support and grants up to £1,500.
This may be available even if you are not a British Gas customer. Or contact your own supplier to see if it offers assistance and grants towards energy costs. Don’t be lulled by recent mild weather. Winter is coming. Time to get ready for it.
