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Ways to save on utility bills

5/ 8/2008

DAVINA FIGGET from Southborough, Kent, works for the charity Age Concern and owns a three-bedroomed detached house.

She is keen to cut her bills and asked us to help.

Cutting fuel bills

Davina used to get her gas and electricity from two different suppliers, but when she noticed her electricity bills were starting to climb she switched to British Gas (her current gas supplier), and saw her monthly bills drop by £26.

Davina has also wisely opted to pay by monthly direct debit, which is almost always the cheapest option.

However, she could save even more if she picked a better tariff. By taking just five minutes to check on our comparison website, www. switchwithwhich.co.uk, we found that Davina could save by switching to Sign Online 11 dual fuel paperless billing from Npower.

Davina could also opt to turn down the temperature on her thermostat by one degree.

This would cut her heating bills by around 10 per cent, saving her £83 annually.

Potential saving: £190

Cutting water bills

Unlike gas and electricity, you can't yet switch water supplier to get a better deal.

But, with the average household water and sewerage bill coming to £312 in 2007-2008, and estimated to rise to £330 in the coming year, any savings provide welcome relief.

The simplest way is to have a water meter installed - as a rule, if you have fewer people in your home than bedrooms, then you should see your bills fall by installing a meter.

Using the Consumer Council for Water's online calculator, we estimated that Davina could save more than £100 a year by switching to a watermeter.

If she changes her mind, or her family circumstances change within 12 months, Davina can switch back to unmetered billing without a charge.

Potential saving: £100

Mind the gap

Davina already has full double glazing and a third of her loft is insulated, but a few adjustments could save her more money.

In Which? tests, Excel Warmcel 100, which is made from recycled newspaper, was a loft insulation Best Buy.

It would cost Davina around £360 to fill the rest of her attic, but she could save up to £67 a year on bills.

Davina may be able to get discounts and grants worth up to 50 per cent of the cost of the insulation from a local authority scheme.

Other councils offer similar schemes.

Getting a grant would slash the payback period for this work to just over two years.

These changes will also improve the energy efficiency rating of Davina's home, which may also boost its resale value.

Potential saving: £67

Total potential saving: £357