Energy bills: Brits could lose over £1000 to this home habit

Amid the rising cost of living, many of us are looking for creative ways to cut our costs on everything from our weekly shop to our energy bills.

To help us in that mission, the energy experts at BOXT have looked at which household habits are costing us the most money.

The experts have also given us their advice on how to save a penny or two on our energy bills.

Is it cheaper to keep your heating on low all day?

Heating unused rooms can cost an average of £1,172.08 each year, according to BOXT's research.

The experts are encouraging those with modern boilers to check if they have the feature to set a timer so that they can control when they want the heating to come on/off.

By utilising this feature, you can save energy and money whilst still being able to come home to a warm house after a long day at work. 

Drying your clothes using a tumble dryer is the second most expensive habit since it can cost an average of £264 a year.

BOXT suggested buying a heated or unheated clothes airer that can save you hundreds of pounds a year.

The energy experts also suggest that hanging your clothes out to dry in warmer months will completely cut the cost of using a tumble dryer.

Coming in third as the most wasteful habit is falling asleep with the TV on.

This habit can cost you £129.10 a year on average, with a TV which is switched on for 10hrs costing the same amount of money as having it on standby for a whole year.

The energy experts also recommend that you set a sleep timer on your TV if you use your TV to help you fall asleep.

This feature gives you the option to set a timer for hours in advance, allowing you to watch a couple of episodes of your favourite show before bed without feeling guilty. 

How you can reduce your energy bills

Energy experts share top tips to save money on your energy bills

Here are BOXT's top tips to help you cut the costs of your energy bills:

Consider hand-washing your dishes

BOXT that we suggests consider hand-washing your dishes. (Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Whilst dishwashers are massive time savers and often do a good job of cleaning your pots and pans, they can cost a hefty sum of money to run regularly.

If you are looking to cut the costs of some of your gas and electric bills then hand washing is a perfect alternative. 

An average 2hr dishwasher cycle costs around 4.56p to run, meaning that you can save lots of pennies (and probably do a much better job) by using a good old-fashioned bowl and sponge.

Consider filling the kettle with less water

BOXT suggests that Brits consider filling the kettle with less water. ( Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

If you are looking for an easy way to save on your energy prices then you could start in the kitchen.

When making a cuppa just for you, there is no need to boil 2 litres of water as it will just be left sitting around in the kettle.

As well as this, it costs almost double the price than it would if you were to fill the kettle halfway. By only using the amount of water you need, you can save time, energy, and money!

Consider Charging Your Phone Before Going To Bed

Consider Charging Your Phone Before Going To Bed, according to BOXT (Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Although it is much more convenient to charge your phone all night and ensure that you have a full charge for the day ahead, this cost soon adds up.

Instead of charging your phone all night, it would save energy and money to charge it for a couple of hours before bed instead.

If you are worried about your phone losing power during the day, most smartphones have a ‘battery saving mode’ which can prolong your battery life by up to two extra hours!

If you work from home then another alternative to charging your phone at night could be to plug your phone into your laptop whilst you work so that it is getting plenty of charge whilst you are busy with other tasks. 

Your Money Matters

Your Money Matters is a campaign launched by us and our sister titles across Newsquest to help you overcome the surge in the cost of living.

This year has seen a whole host of household price increases — from the energy price cap rise to surging inflation and food prices — costing your family hundreds or even thousands of pounds extra per year.

We’re making it our mission to look out for your cash, offering money-saving deals, competitions, giveaways and insightful stories from your community on the impact this cost-of-living crisis is having on our readers.

The worldwide energy crisis exacerbated by the Ukraine invasion, the financial impact of the Covid pandemic, record inflation figures and a surge in the cost of goods, fuel and travel means we will all feel the pinch.

Through our newspaper, we want to do what we can to help make your cash go further because we know your money matters.