As the cost of gas and water keeps going up, it is a good idea to see what you can do to help reduce your gas and water bills. First of all here some ways of reducing your gas bill each year:
1. If you turn down your thermostat setting by 1 degree you can save up to 10 % off your gas bill.
2. If you pay your gas bill by direct debit instead of paying cash or cheque at your bank, you can save up to 10% off your bill.
3. Go buy and fit a standard jacket around your hot water tank which will only cost about 10 pounds and will save you around 15 to 20 pounds off your gas bill every year.
4. Do some shopping around for a cheaper gas supplier, you can save up to 25% if you have never switched supplier before and even if you have switched supplier before, you could still save up to 15% by shopping around and switching again. It is not difficult to switch your gas supplier, all you have to do is sign some forms and have a current meter reading taken. The gas is supplied through the same pipes, all that changes is who bills you and who provides the customer service.
5. Once your gas boiler is over 15 years old, it is best to upgrade it to a new one and the best to go for is an A rated gas condensing boiler as this will deliver the maximum energy efficiency and the lowest gas bills for you.
6. You can save up to 25% off your heating costs every year by getting your loft insulated.
Ok well that is about it for the gas bill, but what about your water bill? Well there is no open market for water supply so you cannot switch to a different supplier to get your water bill down, but you can change from an unmetered water supply to a metered water supply. This may save you some money, depending on your circumstances, generally speaking if you have more bedrooms in your house than you do people living in your house then you will most likely save money by switching to a metered water supply. Getting a metered water supply fitted is free and you will have the option of going back to an unmetered water supply within 12 months of switching should you wish to do so. If you want to work out for definite whether you would save money doing this or not, you can contact your local water company who will send you a table so that you can work it out.
