Beginner's Guide: Cutting Household Bills

10 Ways To Cut Your Water Bill


1. How Are You Billed? The traditional way is to receive a yearly bill based on your home’s old rateable value (a rough estimate of how much your house could be rented out for), regardless of how much water you use.

But now you can opt to have a water meter fitted to calculate your actual usage instead.

2. Shower: A daily bath uses 80 litres of water, while a shower uses around 35 to 40. Over a year, by showering, a couple could save more than £65.

3. Water Saving Devices: The Hippo, or similar devices that displace water in your cistern, are not terribly expensive, and could save you up to three litres each time you flush. Any submerged object, such as a few handfuls of marbles, will achieve the same effect.

Water-saving showerheads restrict the amount of water that comes through – though it may take longer to wash. As an alternative spend less time in the shower. More on water saving devices at Save Water, Save Money .

4. Fill Up: Make sure dishwashers and washing machines have a full load before you turn them on.

5. Fix Drips: A dripping tap could waste as much as 90 litres of water a week. Have it fixed.

6. Turn Off The Tap: When you’re brushing your teeth or shaving, fill the basin rather than letting the tap run.

7. Reuse Water: Instead of chucking water down the drain reuse it - water from a cooking pot, for example, can be reused for watering plants.

8. In The Garden: Water butts are a great way to harvest water for use in the garden.

9. The Lawn: Reduce the frequency with which you mow your lawn. Not only will it save your electricity (or your back!) but a longer lawn needs less watering than closely cropped turf.

10. The Plants: And soaking your plants once a week, rather than watering daily will save your money and keep your plants strong as their roots probe more deeply for the water.

10 Ways To Cut Your Fuel Bills


1. Switch Now? Martin Lewis, the guru behind Money Saving Expert, advises us to wait until all providers have increased their prices. If you switch now you may find yourself paying even more when your new supplier pumps up their prices.

2. Have A Free Home Energy Check: Complete the free home energy check at Energy Saving Trust and you'll receive a report telling you how you can save up to £270 a year on your household energy bills.

3. How You Pay: By switching to a monthly direct debit you could cut your bills by around ten per cent. And by moving to an internet-based account your savings could be even greater. Don’t pay an estimated bill - always read the meter. You don’t want to hand over more cash than you need to, or end up with a big bill at the end of the year either.

4. Cheaper Tariffs? Grants? If you’re struggling financially find out if your company has a cheaper tariff designed to help people on a low income. Check with the Energy Saving Trust to see if you're eligible for grants and offers.

5. Energy Monitor: A home energy monitor will record your electricity consumption and convert it into a monetary value, based on the cost price of your electricity, so you can see how much all those cups of tea really cost you.

Although last year we were told that the Government would be giving us all a monitor, free of charge, we’re still waiting.

6. Insulate: Cavity wall insulation is estimated to reduce heat loss and thus save on heating bills by around £100-£120 a year. At a cost of around £500 to fit, the insulation could pay for itself in as little as four years.

Loft insulation (to a depth of 270mm) is another big carbon cutter as it seriously reduces the loss of rising heat. The estimated cost of £300 could be well worth it, with heating bill savings of around £110 a year.

7. New Boiler: A modern condensing boiler uses up to 40 per cent less energy. Despite the £500 price tag, the savings could be as much as £240 a year, meaning you could've covered the cost in just over two years.

8. Turn It Down: If you turn your thermostat down by just 1°C, you could cut your heating bills by up to ten per cent, saving you around £50 a year.

9. Switch Off: Don’t leave your electrical appliances on standby. Items left on standby use up to 85 per cent of the energy they would use if fully switched on.

10. Lightbulbs: Energy saving light bulbs could save around £65 during each bulb's lifespan, thanks to their low power output and their longevity.


Nikki Sheehan
continue