How to Save Money on Fuel Bills

Reducing Outgoings by Cutting the Amount Spent on Energy Bills

Oct 10, 2008

Particularly during the "credit crunch", saving energy in the home is a way of cutting costs as well as reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Heating and other fuel represents a large proportion of the monthly spending for hard-pressed families, but there are ways of reducing the costs. Here are some suggestions.

Insulate the Home

A huge amount of heat is lost in the average home through poor insulation. Insulating cavity walls, lofts, tanks, and pipes can give the homeowner significant savings on heating bills, as well as reducing CO2 emissions. For those who don't want to spend any money, even simple draughtproofing to fill the gaps around windows will help, as will using thick curtains. In the UK at least, there are grants and other offers available for people who want to make homes more energy efficient; the best place to check is the local council.

Small Changes in Energy Use Can Save Money

If the homeowner switches off all appliances completely rather than leaving them on standby, this could save up to £37 ($75) per year. Turning the thermostat down by one degree -- and wearing an extra jumper if necessary -- could save up to £65 ($130) on the heating bill. Fitting all the lights in the home with energy efficient lightbulbs could save £45 ($90) per year. Other ways to save energy -- and money -- are to take showers instead of baths, fix any dripping taps, and choose energy efficient appliances when it's time to replace the old ones.

Changing Billing Method

Many energy companies offer discounts to customers who agree to pay their bills by monthly direct debit, so this is worth investigating. Another way to cut down on costs is by paperless billing -- instead of receiving bills in the post, the householder gets then by email and manages his or her account on-line. This also saves on paper and therefore has wider energy-saving implications.

Comparing Energy Suppliers

Energy suppliers compete with each other, so switching suppliers may be a way to reduce energy bills. According to gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, customers who switch both gas and electricity suppliers could save £100 ($200) per year. However, one needs to do some research before making changes. It also pays to look at dual fuel deals, where the householder gets gas and electricity from the same supplier; these often offer discounts and can work out cheaper.

For those people in rural areas who rely on oil for heating, it is again worth comparing suppliers of heating oil. Also, many of these companies give discounts for larger quantities, so it may be worth completely filling the oil tank...and this also means it should last the whole winter.

Doing all of the above should be relatively painless, but it should both save the household era significant amount of money, and reduce his or her carbon footprint. so it has to be a good thing!

The copyright of the article How to Save Money on Fuel Bills in Family Budgeting is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish How to Save Money on Fuel Bills in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.