Reducing Utility Bills

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When you live in a rented home, the monthly bills are nearly always consistent. The rent will be a set fee every month, along with council tax, water bills, electricity, pay TV and the internet. When you receive these bills, you will probably think, that as a tenant, you can't do too much to reduce them. But following some easy tips will allow you to cut nearly all your bills.

The cheapest ways to reduce your bills

1) Turning your thermostat down by 1 degree is the first piece of advice everyone will give you. It suddenly becomes less annoying when you find out you could save up to £60 a year.

2) If turning down by 1 degree could save you £60, imagine what the savings you could make by delaying turning the heating on for a week or more. Instead of putting the heating on, put on a jumper or some thick socks to keep the cold out.

3) Showers use less water than baths and will therefore save you money, but power showers can quickly use more than a bath-full. Turning the pressure down slightly on a power shower, will allow you to enjoy the power shower and still reduce your water bills.

4) Pre-heating the oven is a huge waste of electricity, therefore to do so everyday is not the most efficient way to cook. Instead, it is far cheaper to cook a couple of meals at the same time and just reheat before serving.

5) Just like boiling a kettle, you should limit the amount of water you use when boiling food. Using a smaller pan will increase the efficiency of your cooking.

6) Wash your clothes at 30-40°C to save your washing machine from having to heat the water too high. This could cut your energy usage in half and speed up the washing process.

7) Stop using the tumble-dryer. Hang your clothes up and let them air-dry over night. The ...

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...cheap and temporary method to stop the heat escaping up the chimney and the cold descending down into your home.

16) Ensure that your water tank and the pipes are all sufficiently insulated. Adding extra insulation will keep the water hotter for longer and reduce the amount of time the boiler is on.

Spending a lot to save a lot more
17) Whilst this may seem a step too far for a tenant to worry about, insulating the loft is one of the best ways to keep a house warm and reduce the heating bill. To insulate the average loft will cost around £150, much more than any other tip we have given. However, loft insulation could save you around £130 a year, so if you are planning to be in the house for longer than a year, it is going to save you money.

Following any or all of these tips could easily reduce your energy bills with just some small changes in your daily habits.

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