How to take full control of your household energy bill
AS residents enjoy the odd spot of warm weather, keeping on top of household energy use might be far from our minds.
However, simple changes can help families keep their homes running efficiently and save money this summer.
Manchester’s smart energy expert – Emran Uddin, from British Gas – shares some of his tips to help households across the region keep their homes ‘energy fit’ this summer:
Turn the lights out. If you leave a room, or don’t need the lights on, flick the switch and turn them off.
Putting hot food in the fridge wastes energy and is bad for your appliance, so let it cool naturally first.
Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need. There’s no point boiling a full kettle if you’re only making tea for yourself.
If you can, do the week’s washing in one go and put a full load into the machine. And if you’ve got an eco-function, put that on too.
Emran said: “Having smart meters, which replace standard gas and electricity meters, can help too. Smart meters automatically send accurate readings to us if you’re a British Gas customer, which means an end to estimated bills.
“Smart meters come with a smart energy monitor that shows customers how much energy is being used, in pounds and pence, and in near real-time. That means you’re in control of your energy.”
To find out if you’re eligible for gas and electricity smart meters, visit britishgas.co.uk.