Cutting Fuel Bills
The economic recession and the knock on effects mean that we should all be looking at ways to keep out outgoings as low as possible and energy bills are one thing that we may be able to have some influence over. The cost of using gas and electric has soared and as Winter approaches, for most of us our bills are likely to increase. Some people however, will opt to use as little heating as possible to save money on bills, but certainly for the vulnerable and the elderly this is not an ideal approach.
Better to have a look at ways of being able to reduce cost whilst keeping temperatures in the home at a realistic level:
The first thing to do when trying to reduce your fuel bills is to find out how much you are uising. Many people use direct debit schemes, which mean that they are often unaware of just how much fuel they are using, they simply pay the money and hope for the best. As many energy companies are not now reading meters, a large percentage of the population are paying estimated bills. By learning to read gas and electric meters, you will have information about what you use and you can either reuce usage accordingly, wher possible, or give some accurate figures to your energy company to make suer you are not paying too much. You should also try and compare energy charges with other suppliers and if you are able to, swap to a cheaper supplier.
Once you have determined how much you are using, you should then use more of whatever is the cheaper, whether it is gas or electric. Decide whether it is better to run the gas boiler or the electric immersion heater.
Draught proof windows and doors. You do not have to spend a small fortune on double glazing. Self adhesive foam rubber around the door is inexpensive and will do a good job. Loft insulation is a good way of keeping heat in, but it can cause major problems with condensation. If possible, take good professional advice before you go ahead, you may swap one problem for another. An alternative is to make sure that the under floor is heated. This will certainly allow you to retain more heat in your feet, which may make you feel more comfortable.
Makes sure water pipes are well insulated as they will expand if they freeze and a burst pipe in Winter is not funny. You also need to make sure that you save water as much as possible. There are flushing systems available which attach to your present system and allow you more control over how much water is used when the toilet is flushed.
Research some of the websites available including money making which may help save you money. Make sure that your gutters, drains and downpipes are clear could save you money in the long run as water damage can cause serious problems.