Millions of UK households are bracing for sharply higher energy bills this winter, with Ofgem announcing a surge in the price cap.
From October, the Ofgem benchmark for an average dual-fuel household, paid via direct debit, is set to jump to £1,717, a substantial rise of £149 from the current figure of £1,568. This approximately 10% increase from the previous cap signifies an approximate addition of £12 per month to household energy bills, as stated by the energy watchdog.
The public reaction has been swift and sharpmany took to social media to vent their frustrations. One user blasted: “We are all being taken for fools aren’t we?”
Another added: “This will again make the most disadvantaged choose between eating and heating this Winter. Just disgusting.” A third commentator labelled the situation a scandal: “It’s a scandal.”
With the new cap commencing on October 1 and lasting until December 31, British residents have little time to adjust to these financial burdens. Those anxious about the upcoming cost surge should pay attention to practical advice offered by experts.
Glasgow-based engineering lecturer Peter Brown shared a straightforward tip for slashing energy bills. He advocates for the use of radiator foil that you can buy for just about £7 to better insulate rooms during the colder months.
Pairing this with lowering room thermostats by a single degree could result in bill savings of 10%.
Echoing a pragmatic approach, the engineering faculty director at Glasgow Kelvin College remarked: “It’s not just the expensive things that keep your heating costs down.
“If you’re losing heat through your windows and can’t afford double glazing, closing trickle vents and buying draught excluders can be just as effective.
“Underfloor insulation can be costly but cans of spray foam can be bought for a fiver and work successfully to fill the gaps letting out all of your heat.
“Carpets are usually more effective at keeping the heat in than wooden floors, but laying a carpet if you don’t already have one will not necessarily be more cost effective.
“An unused chimney can be plugged with an inflatable draught excluder, or you could pay a bit extra to get it professionally capped.”
He added: “Investing in a roll of radiator reflecting foil is cheap and they are generally helpful at reflecting the heat back into the room.
“Paying attention to the TRVs, which are the thermostatic valves controlling the temperature at the side of your radiator, is also important.
“Set the temperature in each room depending on how hot you want it – there’s no need for your spare bedroom to be constantly heated, and generally sleeping areas don’t need to be as warm as living areas. Bleeding your radiators regularly is also a sure way to save some cash.
“Every one degree drop in temperature roughly correlates to a 10% saving on your bill – aim to heat living areas to 21 degrees and bedrooms to 18.”
Finally, he recommends taking a look at your boiler to see how efficient it is. While splashing out on a new one is a big investment, and can be around £500-£1,000, you could see a return on this money within five years.
Just make sure you get professional to advice to see if making this move will actually be worth it for you in the long-run. With all these changes you could save around 15% on your heating bills, he concluded.
