Ofgem chief Jonathan Brearley announced the energy price cap will further rise from £1,971 to £2,800 in October this year, amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis and a volatile gas market. The upward trend for gas prices is expected to continue until 2024. According to the experts at Boiler Central, there are small changes families can do now to prepare for the rise in energy bills come October, such as installing a smart meter, switching to LED bulbs, draught-proofing their home, and more.
The five most common household items that can drive energy bills through the roof are boilers, fridges, freezers, dishwashers, ovens, and washing machines, according to Boiler Central.
But households can make easy adjustments to these appliances that can save them over £1,000 a year.
Interestingly, kettles do not consume much energy and only cost the average household £3.15 a month.
Meanwhile, a boiler costs 1p every five minutes, equating to around £82 a month.
READ MORE: How to clean duvet and pillows without washing machine ‘Kills germs’
Since fridges need to plugged in all the time, the best way to cut their cost is to invest in a better-rated one.
Dishwashers are also plugged in most of the time, costing the average household £10.30 a month.
Although dishwashers are the third most expensive item to run in a household, they do save on water consumption – and save time.
However, the energy use is likely three times higher in households with multiple children, where several loads of dishes are done every day.
On average, washing machines use more than twice as much energy as kettles, costing a household £6.86 a month.
Using lower temperatures is an easy way to drive these costs down – 30 degrees is warm enough to kill most bacteria.
Myles Robinson from Boiler Central said: “If you want to reduce your annual energy bills, the first place to focus your attention is on your home heating.
“Start with energy efficiency – reduce your consumption of energy and change your habits with a smart meter.
“Next, consider switching to renewable energy and replacing your boiler.
“Appliances also consume power, but it requires much more energy to heat the entire house. This is why choosing an A-rated green boiler to reduce energy consumption is so important.”
Additionally, installing a smart meter could cut a household’s energy bills by £75 a year, and switching to LED bulbs can slash a huge 75 percent off a family’s entire energy use.
Draught-proofing by installing thicker curtains, sealing any cracks and blocking unused chimneys is another way to reduce bills, adding up to an easy £35 decrease on one’s energy consumptions.
Lastly, investing in double-glazed windows can reduce a family’s bills by up to £110 a year.
