Cutting your Home Bills: Save Money and the Planet by Adam Singleton

Two significant factors have made the majority of households in the UK consider finding ways to cut their energy consumption, water and other utility bills, namely rapidly rising prices and also concern over carbon emissions and the detrimental impact that is having on the Earth. But, out of those the one causing most immediate concern is the wallet-busting rises in the average bill over the past two years. The majority of the energy generated in the UK is derived from using fossil fuels, which is a finite source of power. As gas, oil and coal resources are depleted it is only natural that the price of each rises; it is a case of the purest form of supply and demand economics. Add in the fact that the UK is now a net importer of all those sources of power and there is the added peril that any price fluctuations are completely at the mercy of the supplying countries. In 2008 alone wholesale energy prices increased on the previous year by 66% for electricity and 60% for gas. Although those prices then dropped in 2009, the majority of the price falls are yet to be passed on by suppliers. In addition, the recession has started to hit home, adding a third factor to why people are examining how they can reduce household expenditure. Other regular bills such as home and car insurances, mobile phone plans and broadband packages have also come under the microscope as everyone looks to get more value from their household expenditure. There are many ways to reduce the total of outgoings each month starting with merely examining how we use energy within our home. For example, British Gas has determined that on average out of every £1 spent on heating in the UK 25 pence is wasted due to poor insulation of the home. So, by investing in better loft and wall insulation and draft exclusion we can reduce our heating bill by a quarter. Questioning the ways in which we use energy around the home is a good place to start. Do we need to keep heating up water at regular intervals just to let it cool down again, or can we become more disciplined and only switch it on when we need it? Turning lights and electrical appliances such as TVs off when leaving rooms also helps avoid wasting unnecessary electricity and powering down computers and other electrical devices rather than leaving them on standby when we aren't using can save a considerable sum each year. Saving power not only helps our pockets, it helps the planet, so we should all try to examine our current habits and change then for the better!