How to save money on your energy bills

Use the Library

As handy as the library is for books and going on Facebook when you should be studying, it also provides electrical outlets for students to use.

Use these outlets to charge everything you own: Your phone, your iPod, your camera, your laptop etc. You are paying for your tuition anyway, so you may as well save where you can.

Also, if you are feeling cold at any point then you can use the libraries heating to warm you up. You can sit and read in warmth (usually too hot) all day without having to spend a penny on a large heating bill.

Listen to your Mother – Wrap up warm

As the temperature drops, it can be tempting to crank the heating up to keep your flat warm. However, if you are walking around a flat in December in a t-shirt and shorts, you are doing something wrong.

Listen to your mother’s advice and put a jumper on. Layer up with socks, slippers, vests and anything else you can find. Remember that if you reduce your heating by as little as 1C, it can cut your annual bills by up to 10%.

Another little tip is to buy a warm blanket now before they shoot up in price as we get closer to Christmas. You can get one from TheHut.com for around £20. They also make a great gift!

My mother also tells me to go for a walk if I’m feeling cold. Coming back inside after a brisk walk in the cold, will make your flat feel infinitely warmer than it did before. Regular exercise will keep your body temperature up, so remember this when you can’t face getting out of your warm bed in the morning.

Be smart with your bills

Always make sure your electric supplier has the correct meter readings. Often, you can be lumped with a massive estimated bill, but it is easy to phone them up with your correct readings. If your estimation is lower, you can choose whether to save money that month and pay more in the next bill, or keep yourself right.

You can also elect to pay the same amount of money each month. While this will result in you paying for more than you use in the summer, it will usually be less than what you use in winter. This allows you to budget accordingly, and you can claim back the money you didn’t spend when you move out.

However, you need to be careful about a select amount each month. If you go over it the energy company WILL charge you for the extra you spend. I once heard a story where a group of students had to pay back over £1,000 because they thought that £30 a month meant unlimited electricity and gas.

Also check around providers for the cheapest deal. Usually, if you pay by direct debit or opt for paperless billing, a discount is offered, so always check these options out. You can see more about this on our best energy suppliers for students article.

Use energy efficient products

Most of you will have heard of energy saving light bulbs. They are the one of the best energy saving tools around. Also, they not only help you save money but the environment too.

You will need to look out for products that are energy efficient by looking at their rating which is shown by a letter ranked A++ to G. All appliances ranked A++ and A are the best at saving energy and saving you money.

Did you know that an energy saving light bulb could save you up to £60 in its lifetime and last up to 10 times longer than its standard bulb cousin.

Save electricity when washing

I have never in my 4 years of University separated my washing. I chuck everything in a 40C wash with a colour catcher and have never once had a problem. If you have a half load of whites and a half load of colours, do not waste your time and money doing two separate washes.

You can also buy laundry detergent which promises to wash at 30C now, so there’s no excuse to be wasting money needlessly.

Also, never ever use a tumble drier. Buy a clothes horse, plan your washing so you don’t have an hour for your work uniform to dry, and don’t waste what you don’t need.

Spend money to make money

20% of household heat is lost with poor insulation, and rectifying this can save you around £20 a year. You can buy draft excluders and insulating curtains for low prices on eBay. If you buy them directly from a shop, expect to pay more than double the price.

I bought a pair of factory second curtains last Winter for £15 and I am sure they have paid themselves off already in the money I have saved from heating. You would be surprised how much of a difference closing your curtains at dusk makes.

If you are not the homeowner, it’s not possible for you to do things like install double glazing or insulate the floor or walls. However, it’s always worth asking your landlord if they would consider doing this. If they refuse, you can buy temporary glazing film from hardware shops at around £4 a metre which is easy to use and guaranteed to keep extra heat in.

Keep an eye on your flatmates

As vigilant as you are at turning of lights and heating, always keep an eye on what your flatmates are doing. Agree on a time to set the heating and do not touch it even if you are tempted to.

If your flatmate is prone to leaving the TV on standby then remind them that if it keeps happening, they will have to pay the extra.

Also remember that flatmates significant others who stay over and shower more than once a week, should be paying for their share of the bills. This may sound mean, but it is not fair to pay for electricity you have not used.

In addition, always check that chargers are not plugged in when they are not being used. This not only uses needless electricity, it can also lead to fires.

Other handy energy saving tips

Here are a few other quick tips to help you save money on those pricey energy bills. The best tip that I can give overall is simply to use less. If you used 30 mins less heating every night then you would save a large amount of wonga!

• Turn down your water thermostat (usually located in the boiler room)
• Only ever boil as much water as you need in a kettle.
• Make sure all windows are tight shut.
• Get active in the house. Do some exercise and keep warm.
• Snuggle up with your housemates (if you are that close) and keep extra warm.
• Use a hot water bottle at night to save leaving the heating on later than necessary (don’t turn on the heating at times when you are sleeping)
• Don’t block heaters with furniture as it will prevent the room from getting warm. Similarly, after using an oven, keep the door open so it warms up the kitchen.