Take control of your rising energy bills

Three of the “big six” energy suppliers have all increased their gas and electricity tariffs in recent weeks. You may be a little nervous about the inconvenience of paying more for your energy bills, especially with the current cold weather. Here is some information on the recent price increases and where you can go for more information.

So, first some facts...

The three companies who’ve already put up their prices are: British Gas, Scottish & Southern and Scottish Power.

British Gas has imposed a 7% electricity price increase and 7% gas price increase. This means paying £39 more on your electricity bill over the year. And £43 more a year on top of your gas bill.

Scottish Power has increased electricity prices by 8.9% and 2% increase on gas prices. Meaning if you’re a Scottish Power customer, you’ll have to pay £50 more for electricity and £12 more for gas - per year.

Scottish & Southern energy has increased their gas prices by 9.4%, costing you an extra £50 on gas bills per year.

EDF has frozen their energy tariffs until March. This means no increased prices during the months when you’re using (and need) more gas and electric! But they might still go up eventually.

All other companies have not yet announced what they plan to do.

Now to combat those energy price rises!

There is not much you can do about rising energy prices. However you can take control of your energy use and the efficiency of your home. Take a look at the following options to help cut your energy bills.

Insulate  

Around half of heat loss in a typical home is through the walls and loft so it's worth checking whether yours are insulated. Insulation is a cheap and effective way of beating those energy bill rises. There are a variety of options available for different housing types. Visit the Energy Saving Trust website or call 0800 512 012 for more information.

Get a grant or discount  
There are personalised grants and offers to help make installing energy saving measures, like insulation, affordable. For more information on the help available to heat your home visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/ or check out the grants and discounts database available on the Energy Saving Trust website.

Know your boiler and heating controls  
Boilers account for around 60% of what you spend in a year on energy bills, so getting an efficient boiler can make a big difference. Knowing how to use your boiler efficiently will also help you reduce the cost of your energy bills. For more information on how to use heating controls visit http://www.centralheating.org.uk/ or call the Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 for more information.

Get even more information!  
You can get free and impartial advice from Energy Saving Trust advice centres by calling: 0800 512 012. Also, why not visit the Money Made Clear website for information on the benefits and grants that are available to help you with your fuel costs.

Information was taken from Energy Saving Trust website www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.