Managing energy usage can be tough and it's easy to think you have to choose between saving money and living comfortably.

Using less energy can help you save a lot of money, so if you're looking for ways to save more, then it's worth having a look at how you currently use electricity and gas. Simple things like turning off the lights when you leave the room, can help you save money on your energy bills.

This article outlines tips on how to lower your bills by making small changes, without compromising your day-to-day life.

Click here for our handy guide.

Change Your Bill Payment Method

What will be a surprise to most is that the way that you pay your bills could actually save you money. How, you ask?

According to the Money Saving Expert, many energy suppliers offer lower rates if you’re able to commit to direct debit as your method of payment. Typically, direct debit is 7% cheaper than any other form of payment. It also means you don’t have to worry about missing any of your payments!

Note: This tip is not for everyone. If you are currently using a pre-payment meter, then this option is not available to you.

Avoid Wasting Energy

Avoiding wasting energy sounds obvious, but there are many ways that you could be wasting money without even know it. Here are some examples:

1. Thermostat Control

Controlling your thermostat can help you save. Using a smart device to control your heating remotely, or timers if you have them, can help make sure you only heat your house when necessary. On average, you’ll save around £70 each year (Citizens Advice)

Another thing to remember is that any small adjustment in the temperature will make a difference. Turning your heating down by as little as 1 degree can help save you £80 each year.

2. Close Curtains and Blinds

On colder autumn or winter days, close your curtains or blinds as the daylight fades, to keep the heat inside overnight.

Though, during the daytime when it’s warmer, let the light in, and if you can open the windows for a short amount of time here and there to let air circulate in your home, you will help prevent the build-up of damp.

3. Prevent Draughts

Poorly sealed doors and windows can drain the heat you’ve saved up. They also make it much harder to warm up your home in the first place. Applying draught excluder tape around your doors or windows could help to reduce draughts and keep the warmth in.

4. Switch Lights Off

This one is fairly obvious but seems to be one that everyone forgets. Remembering to turn your lights off when you leave a room will help cut down the cost of your electricity bill.

5. Use Energy-Saving Bulbs

As well as remembering to turn off the lights, the type of bulbs you use will also affect your energy bill. Energy saving light bulbs might be a little more expensive up front, but they last much longer than regular bulbs and cost far less to run. If you are currently using regular light bulbs, when they burn out, replace them with energy-saving bulbs, such as LEDs where possible, as they are much more energy efficient.

6. Turn Off Electrical Devices

It’s important not to leave any appliances on standby or electrical devices on charge for longer than they need. Even by being left on standby they can use a small amount of energy which will only add to your bill.

To check how much your electrical appliances cost to use click this link from Citizens Advice.

7. Wash Full Loads Only

Washing machines and dishwashers take up a large amount of energy but are an essential for most of us. With that in mind, you should try to make the most out of each wash. Make sure that the dishwasher and washing machine are as full as possible (within the recommended load capacity). This will also help to reduce the number of loads that you need to do. In addition to that, make sure that you are washing on the economy setting, or on a lower temperature, whenever possible.

8. Avoid Tumble Dryers

Tumble dryers use huge amounts of electricity. In fact, running it for just one hour a day can cost up to £183.05 a year.

Instead, drying your clothes outside or using airers is much more energy friendly. Make sure to keep a window open to prevent damp build up, plus airflow can actually help dry your clothes quicker!

9. Fix Leaky Taps

No one likes a leaky tap, let alone your energy bills!

Having a leaky hot tap means that you could be wasting both water, and the energy required to heat it. This will be reflected on both your energy and water bills, increasing your bills unnecessarily.

Fixing this can be a relatively inexpensive home improvement that will help save you money.

By making just a few of these simple changes, you should see a reduction in your gas and electricity usage, which will help cut the cost of your bills. And following the energy price cap increase that took place in April, these tips could really help. These reductions in energy consumptions also help the environment.

Improve Home Insulation

When it comes to heating your home, you need to ensure you keep the heat in.

If your home isn’t insulated well, you could be wasting a lot of energy and money. In fact, 25% of heat-loss from uninsulated homes escapes through the loft (Energy Savings Trust) and 40% through the windows, doors and floors (Simple Energy Advice).

So, if you’re interested in a long-term solution to saving money on your energy usage, investing in your home insulation might be a good idea.

THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COSTLY!

There are also cheaper alternatives to a full loft insulation. In fact, something as simple as draft excluder tape around your windows can be a cheap alternative that saves you a considerable amount of money.

Although additional loft insulation may save you money in the long term, it can be very costly in the short term, so make sure you take time to figure out what the best option is for you.

We understand that if you’re renting, some of the tips outlined above might be harder to follow. However, there are still things you can do to improve your insulation.

EPC Ratings 

If your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) says your home is rated below band ‘E’, then it is considered ‘substandard’ by regulations and in general your landlord must make some improvements. You can check your home’s EPC rating on the Simple Energy Advice website.

Landlords typically must make the required improvements to raise the EPC of their property. However, your landlord won’t have to make improvements if your home is exempt from the ‘minimum standard’ of energy efficiency. You can check if your home is exempt from the minimum standard here.

To find out more about the way the EPC of your rented home works, please visit England Shelter.

If you want to know more about the dangers of energy theft and how to spot the signs, visit our pages on electricity theft and gas theft.