The price cap is set to rise to an annual level of £4,279 in January 2023, but bill-payers remain protected under the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG).
The energy price cap level indicates how much consumers on their energy supplier’s basic tariff would pay if the EPG were not in place.
1. Switch off!
Appliances, TVs and gadgets turned to standby still require energy, particularly for maintaining the appliance’s “sleep” status. So, remember to UNPLUG after use as most appliances can be switched off at the plug when not in use, and doing so can save an average household between £45 and £80 a year.
2.Restrict your shower’s flowIn a bathroom, there are several steps you can take to reduce your environmental impact. One is to restrict the flow of your shower.Standard showers tend to deliver a flow rate of 13.5 litres per minute, while flow-regulated ones reduce this to 10 litres per minute. This makes a massive water saving, but the flow rate hardly notices.
3. Reduce your flushAnother quick fix to reduce your environmental impact in the bathroom is to reduce the amount of water you use each time you flush the toilet.Place a cistern displacement device in your dual-flush toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water used in each flush. This can be bought online.
4.Repair dripping tapsDripping taps are a completely unnecessary water-waster. Entry-level DIY can quickly stop a dripping tap from wasting up to 15 litres of water a day – or almost 5,500 litres a year. Check out one of the many how-to videos online for step-by-step tap-fixing instructions.
5.Challenge yourself to take a shorter showerA shower can use anything between 6 and 45 litres per minute. That means a 15 minute shower could cost you anywhere from 90 to 675 litres of water, so each minute you don’t spend showering will quickly boost the savings.
6. Turn off the tapIf you turn the tap off when brushing your teeth, you can save up to 6 litres of water per minute. So if you’re brushing your teeth for the recommended two minutes twice a day, that could be up to 24 litres of water per person per day!
7. Aim for full loadsAlways try for full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher. This cuts out unnecessary ‘in-between’ washes, saving you water and cutting down on your electric bill.
8. Install a water buttMake the most of rainy days by installing a water butt under your drainpipe. You can use the water collected to give your plants a drink, wash your car and clean your windows. A completely free ways of using water, and great for the environment.
9. Swap your hose for a watering canMuch as showers can quickly use more water than we realise, a hosepipe can pump out around 1,000 litres of water an hour. So consider watering your garden with a watering can instead.In addition, mulching your plants (with bark chippings, heavy compost or straw) and watering in the early morning or late afternoon will reduce evaporation, saving water.
10. Check the water meterInstall a water meter. You will see on your bill exactly what you are using, and this will incentivise you to not waste water and use less.
