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After your rent or mortgage, your gas and electricity bill is probably the next biggest household expense.  Luckily, unlike your rent, there are lots of things that we do to bring the cost down.

Obviously, there are the big expensive changes that you can make, like install solar panels or installing double glazing.  But there are some simple things you can do to.

I’ve compiled my list of simple tips to lower your gas and electricity bills to help you create your ideal frugal home:

Switch your supplier

First things you must do is ensure that you are not overpaying for energy.  If you are out of contract with your current supplier then look for a cheaper deal online.

Look at comparison websites such as uSwitch to get a better deal.  They will search the market for you to find the best deal.  Then it is just a case of signing up and they’ll sort the rest.

Turn off standby items

Swing your eyes around your living room and you’ll probably find a handful of electrical items that are on standby rather than off.  Turning them off will save you money.

Leaving them on standby will use electricity, which although it is less than if the items was on, it is still a waste.  Save that energy and save money.

Unplug chargers

Your phone charger and your laptop charger are all using energy even when they aren’t plugged into the item they are designed to charge.

It is a quick fix.  Simply unplug them in the morning when you are done charging.  Plug them in when you need them again.

Wash clothes at a lower temperature

Another simple change that will save you money and take you no time at all.  Switch to washing your clothes at 30◦C or less.  It will mean far less energy is needed to wash your clothes and they will still come out clean.  I promise!

Turn down your thermostat

This is an obvious one and you probably expected to find it on this list somewhere.  Well, here it is!  Turn your thermostat down.

Even just turning it down by one degree will save you a noticeable amount of money.  Then you can try and creep it down a little at a time and learn to adjust to the new temperature.

Deal with draughts

If there is a draught in your house that means that not only is cold air entering your house, but hot air is also leaving it.  You paid for that hot air.

Filling cracks and installing draught excluders will go a long way to keeping your house warm without any huge costs.

Keep an eye on your usage

Using a smart meter can help you keep an eye on your usage.  This information is valuable as it shows you where and when you are spending money.

With this data, you can act to reduce your bills by making changes to the biggest users of energy in your house.

What do you do to save money on energy in your home?

Let me know all your best tips and tricks by commenting below.  I’ll add my favourites to the list above.

Disclaimer:  Remember the information you read here does not represent advice.  Any ideas or suggestions are just that and may not work for you.  Read the full disclaimer here.