Keeping your home warm this winter might be the least of your worries amid the summer heatwave, but acting now could save you money when the cold months creep in.
According to predictions by energy consultancy Cornwall Insight, the price cap on annual bills set to hit £2,980 in October, so making your home more energy efficient should be at the top of your to do list, according to Cumbria Action For Sustainability.
But navigating the vast amount of online advice available surrounding saving energy often proves hard. Smart Energy GB found a third of Brits find advice online conflicting and difficult to understand.
We spoke with Gareth Field, manager of Cold to Cosy Homes, CAfS’ free independent energy advice service which provides help to anyone in Cumbria struggling to keep up with the extraordinary demands of energy costs.
Whilst the service is normally quiet at this time of year, they are now very busy. Gareth explained that his team have heard harrowing stories and now see people regularly choosing between heating their homes and putting food on the table, who are employed and earning a full time wage.
In recent weeks the service has seen a staggering 125 per cent increase in referral calls. Last October, the service dealt with 29 calls throughout the entire month, and just two weeks ago they dealt with 28 in a single week.
Without government intervention, Gareth said they expect to only see more referrals as we approach the October bill rise.
We asked Gareth some quickfire questions on simple, no-nonsense ways to lower you energy bills in time for winter.
What’s the best way to start saving energy?
Become conscious and really mindful about what you are using and then you can analyse your usage. Being mindful of how you use energy in your home and being conscious of energy while doing it and thinking, ‘could I be boiling less water?’ is really important and effective in lowering energy usage over time.
Considering if a smart meter is for you is also a good idea as they’re just another tool designed to help. Our free helpline is available on 01768 216500 for people to find out if a smart meter is right for them.
What is your top energy saving tip?
Draught proofing. If you have any draughts in the home, you need to block those off. You want to be able to keep the heat in the house without power, thicker blinds and curtains are a good way of doing this.
What’s the best cheap, long term energy saving tip?
Over the summer months, think about how to change items to energy saving items for the winter, but only as and when you can replace stuff. Say for example, if your washing machine breaks and you need a new one, can you buy a new energy efficient washer? Or if your light bulbs go out, you could think about picking LED bulbs instead to save energy.
What’s a more expensive tip that’s worth it in the long run?
Insulation. It’s the biggest thing you can consider, but if you’re in a position to get it, you should. It will save you the most money over time. For those with bigger budgets, considering underfloor insulation and other forms of insulation is also a really good idea.
Can you bust some energy saving myths for us?
We’ve heard things like ‘hug a pet’ and our advice is to stay away from those general ideas. For example, some homes are cheaper to heat all day slowly and some aren’t, so analysing is really important. You could heat your home for a week say every morning and evening, see what that costs and then change your pattern based on that. There are so many variables and it all depends on your house.
Our service offers home surveys to help you see what can be done in your home to save energy. We help people make informed decisions based on facts and we’re not here to sell anything, we are just purely a completely free advice service.
What happens during a home survey?
One of our energy advisors will come out and look at your house. They will look for where energy is being wasted and look at how you use it in your daily life. They might see if you’re better in another room or look for how you can change your home around to save energy. They’ll also look at how they can support you with those bigger changes.
