Living in the UK: Saving even more this Winter

Tips on energy bills

As the weather turns cold, now is the time for winter coats and electric blankets. However, as the energy prices rocket, some may hesitate to switch on the heaters too soon. Actually, there are many cheap ways to keep warm in the UK. You can stay warm easily this winter without breaking the bank! 

In the UK, there are two major approaches to keep one’s home warm cheaply: to make the flat / house warm up while using the least energy, or to use the least energy to keep the occupants warm.

Using cheaper energy

1. In the UK, there are usually different energy suppliers serving the same region, and their price plans may also be different. You can compare their prices by using price comparison websites to find the best deal. In addition, generally speaking it would be cheaper if you buy electricity and natural gas from the same supplier. 

   • Some of the price comparison website samples are:
     Uswitch / Compare the Market / Money Super Market / Switch Pal

   • And you can find out about how to switch your energy supplier here at the website of Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets).

   • Note: Some energy suppliers are now refusing to accept new customers due to the fluctuating energy prices. Please make sure that your new supplier is accepting new customers before making the switch.
     

2. Energy supplier charges are divided into fixed rate and variable rate. The fixed rate means that the supplier will charge you a fixed sum of money. If you spend more energy than the sum it charges you for, the supplier will increase the bill according to the extra consumption. But if you use less than the fixed charge, the amount of energy unconsumed can be stored for your own future use. For the variable rate, you are charged according to your actual energy usage, but the fluctuating energy price can affect how much you will have to pay each month. You can pick the rate that best fits your household energy consumption needs.

Keeping the warm air indoors

When a home is well insulated, keeping it warm will require much less energy (and effort!). Therefore, we can think of ways to prevent the loss of warm indoor air and cold outdoor air from entering. So, if you own your residence, you may consider remodeling it:

1. If your residence is a single house with a single-story brick wall, and it has not been specially treated, its insulation will be poor. If you live in a unit with a space between the walls and its ceiling, the insulation of your residence will be better.

2. You can check whether the windows are double-glazed. This design will make the interior warmer. 

3. Some houses have underfloor heating pipes, which use a lot more energy even though they provide more heat than traditional heaters mounted on walls.

4. If the ground floor of your home is solid concrete or slate, you can add an insulating floor. Walls and roofs can also be laid with insulating materials to reduce the effect of the outdoor weather on the temperature indoors.

If you are a tenant, you can also easily improve the insulation of your home without making any structural changes to your rental. 

1. For example, by keeping the windows closed and drawing curtains on cold days, you can prevent the indoor heat escaping from your home. (The thicker the curtains, the more effective they would be as insulators too.)

2. You can pay attention to the base of the wall, windows, or doors, to see if there are any gaps or small wall cracks where the cold air outdoors can get in. You can then block those gaps with old socks or trousers filled with cotton or cloth strips (they are called “draught excluders” - and you can make your own following the instructions here). If the gap or crack is big, you can also discuss with the landlord or the letting agent to see if it needs to be repaired.

Using less energy to keep warm

1. Keeping your heater on 24/7 will consume a lot of energy. You can set the heater’s timer so that the heater will only be switched on at specific times of the day (like in early mornings or in the evenings when the temperatures are lower). As most UK homes are built to retain heat, with the higher daytime temperatures you can keep warm even without the heater on warmer days. 

2. If you spend a long time working at home, you can follow the sunlight, and stay close to the window for maximum natural heating (a.k.a. the sun). (This method can also effectively alleviate physical and mental effects that may be caused by reduced sunshine in winter.)

3. “Heat the human, not the home”*: No matter how small a room is, warming up a whole room will use more energy than warming up yourself and your family. So, instead of spending all the energy warming up a room, put the heat source near your person and warm up yourself. You can consider investing in appliances that will keep you warm, like electric blankets, portable heaters, or hot water bottles. Or wrap yourself up with a snuggle blanket and put an extra jumper or a light coat on. Then you can delay, or reduce, the hours you need to switch on the heater.
   
   *For more ideas on how to keep warm cheaply, go to Money Saving Experts’ website for their lists of advice. They are also the one who came up with this easily-remembered catchphrase of “heat the human, not the home”!
   
   Notes:

   1. Please do not place hot objects, like a hot water bottle or electric blanket, directly on your skin. Even if it is not boiling hot, you can get hot water bottle rash (erythema ab igne) if your skin is exposed to heat for prolonged periods. Wrap it up with a towel or place it on top of a blanket, and remember to remove or switch off the hot object once you are warming up.

   2. Babies, elderly people and people with health conditions have different needs. So, keeping the heater off by layering out or using smaller hot-generating devices may not work for every family. Please find the best way to keep warm according to the needs of your family.
      
      

Do you have any good tips for keeping warm and saving energy in the winter? Please tell us via email, and we will share them with other Hong Kongers living in the UK, so that all of us can spend a warm winter together!