Easy Ways to Cut Your Bills This Winter

Feeling a bit skint?

This year it feels we’re all having to tighten the purse strings. With the cost of living causing a hell of a load of anxiety for many of us, opening our energy bills fills us with the same level of dread and anxiety we’d had in the noughties when the phone bill would arrive and we absolutely did not ask the bill payer’s permission to vote for Team Gareth – at least Team Will got to see the fruits of their investment…

If you’re scared that your energy bill is going to eat into your monthly budget, we’ve got you covered with some tips that can help save you some cash this Winter. Mix and match some of these tips together, and you could see a healthy saving on your bills. 

Whack the thermostat down by 1 degree

Potential saving: £60 per year

If you’re considering reducing the thermostat to lower your gas bill, the good news is you don’t need to reduce the heating a significant amount to notice a difference on your bill. By turning your thermostat down by just one degree, you can save around £60 a year – and you’ll likely not even notice the difference.

Wash your clothes at 30 degrees

Potential saving: £28 per year

If you’re a fan of a 60 degree wash (guilty) the thought of the eco setting might seem daunting. But selecting the eco option could be the healthier option for your budget and your clothes (who hasn’t had a top come out slightly smaller after a wash and wondered if they had really managed to eat that much in a week?). If you don’t trust me, check out your washing detergent: most brands recommended the eco setting. 

Take a minute off your shower 

Potential saving: £8pp per year

Disclaimer: no one is telling you to quit showering. But if you’re a fan of the long, luxurious shower, cutting a minute off your shower could be key to reducing your bills slightly. There’s even the added benefit of cutting down the morning traffic in the bathroom: lower bills AND less drama? It’s a win-win. 

Draught-proof your home

Potential saving: £25 per year

Looking for a cheap way to save energy? Blocking any gaps around doors, windows and chimneys could help your home stay warm this winter. 

Upgrade your boiler

Potential saving: £970

This one’s a bit of an investment: but if you’re considering a new boiler and can afford to make a switch, it’s worth upgrading sooner rather than later to make the most of the potential savings. All of Isle of Man Energy’s boilers are A-rated, meaning they’re efficient and typically have lower running costs to provide heating and hot water.

Turn off your devices

Potential saving: £55

This is one of the easiest methods of saving a bit of cash on the list – a total no-brainer. By simply switching off your devices – such as TVs, phone chargers and laptops – at the walls, you could see a nice little sum of money being saved each month. 

Don’t overfill the kettle

Potential saving: £36 a year

Whacking the kettle on? Avoid the temptation to boil enough water just in case any guests arrive (you’re not that popular, and they can wait) and just boil enough for what you need. You’ll get your brew quicker, too. 

Use smart tech

Potential saving: £75

It’s 2022 which means, of course, there’s an app for everything – including apps that can help you save money on your bills. Smart home technology like Hive and Tado give you the ability to control your heating from your phone, meaning you can turn it on and off as you need it. That means you can check you’ve turned it off if you’ve rushed out the house, or just open your phone when you’re desperately hungover and the thought of crawling down the stairs to turn off the heating is a bit too much. You can also use smart radiator valves to heat individual rooms, meaning you’re only heating the parts of the house you’re using.