The easy summer energy bill swaps YOU can make to save £390 – including how you charge your phone
MAKING some simple changes can help you save a huge £390 on your energy bills this summer.
Energy bills are generally lower in the summer months – but you can slash them even further with these tricks.
Uswitch has shared easy ways to save on your electricity bill this summerGetty
Comparison and switching service Uswitch.com has shared exactly how much you can save…
Switch to cool showers – £26.24
For some of us, it’s hard to give up our hot showers.
Having 1.5 hours per week of hot showers will use about 8.5kW and cost you £52.49.
But if you’re willing to switch to a cool shower, you could literally halve your costs and save £26.24.
Hang clothes outside – £24.70
You might not realise it but tumble dryers are one of the most expensive household appliances to run.
Uswitch estimates that putting two loads in the tumble dryer each week uses about 3kWh per cycle, costing you £24.70.
If you opt to hang your clothes outside instead, or on an air dryer, it won’t cost you anything at all.
Turn off your dehumidifier – £10.66
If you use a dehumidifier in your home, you may be able to switch it off during the summer.
Dehumidifiers remove extra moisture from the air and prevent damp and condensation on the windows.
They’re often handy for when you’re drying clothes inside.
But they can use up a fair amount of energy, costing just under 10p for every two hours they’re run.
During the summer months, you can let humid air escape naturally instead by opening the windows.
Switch off the heating – £312
Of course, there’s less need for your heating in the summer months.
But it’s worth checking that your heating isn’t coming on automatically when you don’t need it if it’s on a timer.
For example, you might still have it set to come on early in the morning.
Turning off your heating completely can save you a huge £312 over the summer.
What to do if you can't pay your bills
FALLING behind on your energy bills can be extremely stressful.
If you’re struggling to pay what you owe, contact your supplier as soon as possible.
Your provider has to help you come up with a solution, and you should be able to negotiate a deal that works for you both.
One option is to agree a payment plan where you pay off your debts in affordable instalments.
You may be able to pay off your debts directly from your benefits through the Fuel Direct Scheme.
A fixed amount will automatically be taken to cover what you owe plus your usage.
To be eligible, you must be getting one of the following benefits:
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
Income support
income-related employment and support allowance
Pension credit
Universal Credit (but only if you’re not working)
If you cannot come to an agreement with your supplier, they may try to force you to get a prepayment meter installed.
In very rare cases, where you refuse to negotiate, your supplier might threaten you with disconnection.
The average household with gas central heating will spend about £291 on heating in January, February and March.
Halving the time heating is on from April to June will save people around £166, factoring in the change to price cap rates.
The cost of heating then drops to almost zero over the warmest months of the year between July and September.
This adds up to a £312 saving over those six months.
Turning off the heating over the summer can also help direct debit customers build up credit for the winter.
Switch off your lights – £6.92
You can also make use of the increased natural light during the summer months.
If you have three LED lightbulbs on for eight hours a day, it will cost you about £6.92.
But you can save by simply switching them off when it’s light enough outside.
Switch to cold meals once a week – £4.12
Preparing cold meals can help you avoid switching on your oven or hob.
Most people won’t want to have a cold meal every time.
But swapping one oven-cooked meal for a cold salad on a hot day could save you 26p per dinner.
If you do this just once a week for four months, you’ll save about £4.12.
Solar power lights – 20p
You may be eager to light up your garden this summer with bright lights, but it can become costly.
Running an 8W string of electric garden lights for six hours a day for 16 weeks would cost you 20p.
But if you swap them for solar powered lights in the summer, lighting up your garden will cost you nothing to run.
Swap out your hot drink – £4.32
Swapping a warm drink for a cold one can help you save this summer.
The average person spends £4.32 over the course of the winter, if they have one hot drink a day, according to Uswitch.
So, if you swap your Americano for a cold brew coffee, you could help cut back on your energy costs.
Use a solar panel charger – 58p
Using a solar panel charger is not only eco-conscious, but can also help you save.
Over the course of winter, people who charge their phones for 112 hours are charged 58p.
If you opt to charge up your device from a solar power charger this summer you will pay nothing.
But you have to factor in the cost of how much these devices cost to purchase.
The Sun spotted a Vikeri Solar Power Bank 26800mAh, Portable Solar Charger, on Amazon for £26.
We also spotted a second hand version on eBay for £6.79.
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