Cut your energy bills

With fuel bills rising and the credit crunch biting, lots of us are looking to make savings on our outgoings.

There are lots of ways to save money on energy bills, enabling you to both cut costs and reduce your home's carbon footprint.

• Switch to Direct Debits and paperless billing
• Take regular meter readings
• Compare suppliers
• Save energy
• Make some home improvements

Switch to Direct Debits and paperless billing

The cheapest way to pay your energy bills is by monthly Direct Debit. Many energy companies offer discounts to customers who agree to pay this way. Speak to your energy company to see if they provide such discounts.

Another way to cut down on your costs is with paperless billing. Again, many suppliers offer discounts if you agree to this. Instead of receiving bills in the post, you'll get emails from your energy supplier and can manage your account and submit meter readings online.

This type of billing also has wider energy saving implications, cutting the paper needed to send out and pay bills by post.

Take regular meter readings

If your gas and electricity meters aren't read regularly, bills based on estimated readings mean you could end up paying for much more gas or electricity than you actually use. Reading your meter regularly and updating your energy supplier also enables you to keep track of what you're using and cut back if necessary.

Compare suppliers

Energy suppliers are all competing with each other, so switching suppliers can be a great way to cut your energy bills. According to gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, customers who switch both gas and electricity suppliers could stand to save more than £100 a year - but do your research before you make changes.

There are a number of comparison sites on the internet where you can find the suppliers offering the best prices and service. You can also compare green tariffs which allow customers to buy through schemes that use or invest in renewable energy sources.

Find out more green electricity here.

It may also pay to look into dual fuel deals, where you get your gas and electricity from the same supplier. These often offer discounts and can work out cheaper.

Save energy

Small changes to the way you use energy can have noticeable effects on your bills - and your home's CO₂ emissions.

• Switch off your appliances completely - not leaving them on standby could save you up to £37 per year.
• Turn yourthermostat down by 1°C and save up to £65 on your heating bill.
• Close your curtains at dusk to keep the heat in.
• Choose energy efficient appliances when it's time to replace your old ones. Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo to find the most energy efficient products on the market.
• Fit all the lights in your home with energy saving lightbulbs and you could save up to £50 per year.
• Watch your water to cut heating bills. Take showers instead of baths - a typical bath uses around twice as much water as a shower - and fix dripping any dripping taps.

Make some home improvements

Making bigger changes to your home in the form of home improvements can give you significant savings. There are also grants and offers available for people who want to make their homes more energy efficient.

• Insulating cavity walls, lofts, tanks and pipes can give you significant savings on your heating bills as well as reducing CO₂ emissions. Even simple draughtproofing to fill the gaps around your windows can help.

• Fit energy saving glazing - it can save you around £140 per year in heating costs, as well as 720 kilograms of CO₂.

• Consider a condensing boiler. These boilers are the most energy efficient on the market and upgrading to a high efficiency condensing boiler could save around £170 per year.

Worried about paying your fuel bills this winter?

If you are worried you can call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 - they can give you help and advice about paying your fuel bills.

Find out more

• See what insulation can do for your home
• What are green tariffs? Find out more