14 simple hacks to cut your monthly bills

Household bills are rising, but there are lots of ways you can cut energy and reduce costs. We’ve got lots of tips below, including how to save on laundry, reduce food waste, cook smarter, and use less water.

Heat your home for less

1. Get a smart thermostat. If you’ve got an old thermostat, upgrading to a new smart thermostat could really help you reduce heating bills. According to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency, having a smart thermostat can reduce energy bills by an average of 8%. That’s a hefty chunk.

2. Turn the heat down just a little. And yes, we mean by the smallest amount. If you turn your heating down by just 1°C, British Gas reckons that could save £115 a year on average. 18°C is enough for healthy adults (that’s according to the World Health Organisation), so if your thermostat temperatures is in the 20s, you should have some wiggle room.

3. Reduce the flow in your boiler. Here’s a good tip if you’ve got a combi boiler. If you reduce the flow temperature, then you could save about £100 a year. Don’t worry – doing this won’t lower the temperature of your home. It just takes a little longer to warm up. If you’re interested, the money saving boiler challenge has more info on the steps you need to take.

4. Turn down rads you’re not using. If there are rooms in your house you hardly use, what’s the point in heating them as much as your living room? Go around and turn down the rads in two or three rooms you’re not fussed about heating, and the government says you could save around £70 a year.

Save on the laundry

5. Use less detergent. Don’t think that using more detergent will get your clothes cleaner – that’s a legendary laundry myth. Lots of washing machines fully dissolve the detergent before it goes into the drum, so it gets to work straight away. That means you can go easy on the quantity you use, and still get spotless clothes.

6. Go for a cooler wash. 30 is the new 60, folks. Modern washing machines activate detergent at much lower temperatures, so even at just 30°C you get all the benefits of a 60°c wash. That’s good for the environment, and your energy bill.

7. Invest in a heat pump tumble dryer. If you’re looking for a new dryer, the most energy-efficient option is a heat pump tumble dryer. They recycle hot air that normally gets lost during the drying process, and use it to keep drying your clothes. They use less than half the energy than condenser or traditional dryers, so you’ll save money on your energy bills.

Here’s some more laundry hacks for saving time and money.

Be a cash conscious cook

8. Use an air fryer to save cash. Air fryers can really help you in the kitchen. Plus, they’re great value to run. It costs you about 5p per 10 minutes to cook something in an air fryer, which is more than 3 times less than a conventional oven.

9. Make the most of your microwave. Bring the ping! Another energy-efficient appliance is the good old microwave oven. Try using it for jacket potatoes – they take about 6 minutes to cook, rather than an hour in a conventional oven. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, use your microwave to make the perfect chocolate mug cake.

Use less water

10. Say bye bye to baths. Taking a quick shower uses far less water than a lazy soak in the tub. Think about having a bath as a bit of a luxury.

11. Don’t let water run away. If you’re running water until it gets hot, why not fill up some bottles with the colder water instead of letting it run down the plug hole? You can then use it to water plants around the house. And while you’re brushing your teeth, turn off the tap. Every little helps.

Reduce food waste

12. Get the temperature right. The latest food tech can help you cut down on wasted food. If a new fridge has multizone technology, you can select individual temperatures for specific drawers and compartments.
If you don’t have a multizone fridge, the ideal fridge temperature is between 3°C and 5°C. Freezer temperature should be at -18°C.

13. Look for the blue light. Some fridges now have a feature called blue light technology. This replicates the same type of light that fruit and veg are exposed to in nature, which helps to increase nutrients, reduce bacteria, and give food a longer shelf life.

Use less leccy

14. Don’t rely on standby. Turn off TVs, games consoles and PCs at the plug socket, rather than leaving them on standby. If they’re not switched off, they still draw power. This could save you up to £70 a year, according to government estimates.