The cost-of-living crisis is making many people feel as if they’ve suddenly lost control of their finances.
However there are a lot of things you can do around your home to save money.
On average, Scots were paying £1,362 in total for their annual energy bills, according to research released at the end of March before the April price hike.
A study by Compare Boiler Quotes used the Scottish Government’s Energy Statistics Hub to analyse electricity and gas costs from every Scottish local authority.
The Western Isles had the second highest energy bills at £1,754 a year. Argyll and Bute had the highest.
Highland and Aberdeenshire took third and fourth place respectively while Moray was at eight and Aberdeen City was at 20 with an average bill of £1,266.07.
Top tips to start bringing down bills today
1. Unplug anything you don’t need
Energy bills have risen by 54%, direct debits have soared and households are feeling it – even now that many have switched off the central heating.
Electricity is also very expensive and it’s worth taking a few minutes to go from room to room, checking what’s plugged in and what can be switched off.
This writer found a lawnmower battery charging at the back of a shelf in the garage – possibly since last summer.
The bedrooms of children are also likely to harbour devices plugged in and forgotten. It may save just pennies now but they’ll soon add up and energy bills are only going in one direction.
It may not be feasible to switch off the TV at the wall every night – and it won’t even save much money in the grand scheme of things – but one appliance that is doing your energy bills no favours is a second fridge or freezer, especially if it’s kept in the garage.
They are likely to be older and therefore less energy efficient to start with, and the lack of insulation out there may end up forcing it to work harder just to keep the contents cold.
2. Use appliances efficiently
Always make sure the washing machine and dishwasher are full before using them and check the settings.
Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “One of the easiest ways to save money is to dig out the manuals for things like the dishwasher and washing machine.
“We tend to use the same couple of cycles without thinking about it, but most of the energy is used in heating the water, so if you can track down an eco wash, or a cold wash, you can shave a fifth of the energy use each time.”
Only boil as much water in the kettle as you need each time and don’t use larger pots on the hob than required, remembering to cover pans with a lid to keep the heat in.
Commit to ditching the clothes dryer. When sun is forecast, get a load of washing in the machine the day before and hang it out to dry.
And on chilly days follow the mantra: “Heat the human, not the home.”
3. Cooking
There are lots of ways to cut down on using the cooker, while also saving on food costs.
Slow cookers can help with cheap batch cooking when you prepare enough for a meal that day, a few days ahead and also for freezing.
It will also economise the supermarket shop and possibly even cut the temptation to order a takeaway on busy days.
Those who own a microwave could consider using it for long cooker jobs such as baking potatoes – they take a fraction of the time and will cost less to use, despite their high wattage.
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