Christian Action Housing

Heating and hot water account for two thirds of your fuel bills. You can save money by taking a few sensible steps and changing the way you use appliances:

• Turn down your central heating by one degree centigrade. This is equivalent to turning it off for two hours.
• Turn off your heating when it is not needed at night or if you go out. In very cold weather, keep some heating on low to prevent frozen pipes.
• Adjust your heating and hot-water controls to lower settings in the spring, as the weather gets warmer.
• Look for draughts and block them. Fit a flap over your letter box, and put draught strips around door frames and window frames.
• Be aware that electric fires and fan heaters are expensive to run.
• Adjust your routine; how often do you need hot water? Can you lower the temperature of your hot water? Which radiators do you need on? Do you really need the heating on first thing in the morning if you are going out to work? Do you need the heating on when you go to bed, or could you turn it off an hour or so beforehand?
• Turn off lights and other appliances, chargers etc. if you do not need them on.