Winter has now very much arrived, and households across the UK are starting to feel the cold. Here at Money Dashboard, we want to help you make better decisions about how you spend and manage your money, which is why we've put together 16 money saving tips to help you do just that this season. Read on to find out more.
1. Time your heating
Set your heating timer for the hour before you get up so you have toasty toes in the morning, and for an hour in the evening to keep the temperature ticking over through the night.
2. Leave the oven door open
A nifty little trick for an extra blast of warmth without reaching for the thermostat: after you've used the oven and switched it off, leave the door open so the excess heat can circulate round the kitchen.
3. Don't let the draught in
Buy a couple of fun, cheap sausage dog-shaped draught excluders to keep heat inside a room.
4. Fill the kettle with a cup
Save loads of water over the winter season by filling the kettle with just enough to fill a cup. It's better for the environment and for your wallet.
5. Winter help
If you've got someone in your home who was born before 1st June 1952 and receives a state pension, you could be eligible for financial help with your winter energy bills. It's worth looking into, as grants are available up to £300.
6. Switch off
Easy to say, harder to do! If you switch the lights off every time you leave the room, you can save up to 15% on your energy costs across the year.
7. Candle-lit evenings
Get romantic and light your living room with candles in the evenings. It looks wonderful and saves you money on your lighting bills.
8. Fill your washing machine
Always put a full load into the washing machine, and wash it on a 30 degree cycle to keep costs down.
9. Turn down the thermostat
Even turning your thermostat down by one degree can save you 10% on your heating bills.
10. Turn off standby
Once you get into the habit of doing it, turning off your appliances at the wall is an easy way to save pennies this winter. You could save up to £80 a year by just flicking off that little red light.
11. Check your stopcock
Avoid frozen pipes bursting by knowing where your stopcock is and how to turn it off. This will prevent a flood and a hefty bill when the frozen pipes thaw out.
12. Organise an insulation survey
Some energy companies are giving away free insulation to homes that qualify. Organise an insulation survey and in the long term you could save thousands.
13. Energy saving lightbulbs
Energy saving lightbulbs use only a quarter of the energy of normal lightbulbs and can last up to eight times longer.
14. Wrap up
It may sound like something your mum would say, but putting on a jumper (and hat and woolly socks) rather than turning up the heating really does help to curb your energy bills.
15. Buy a flask
Take your home-brewed caffeine fix to work in a flask instead of popping to the nearest coffee shop and your wallet will feel heavier by the time spring rolls around.
16. Track your spending
Once you've started racking up the savings, stay on top of your finances with our free Money Dashboard budgeting tool. Once you sign up, you can discover exactly where your money is going on a daily or monthly basis, and see how much you've saved by putting our tips into action.
Posted by Money Dashboard
