Big Energy Saving Week 2019
23rd January 2019
Big Energy Saving Week 2019 (BESW) is taking place from 21st to 27th January this year and helps consumers understand their energy use, cut their bills and get financial support.
BESW is a campaign that has been instigated by a partnership between Citizens Advice, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and a number of other organisations.
Save Money on Energy Bills
January is a time where many of us think about our fuel bills. A time we are more likely to seek out ways to save extra pennies after the expense of Christmas and New Year! With this in mind, every year BESW empower people across England, Wales and Scotland to save money on their energy bills via promotions and events. In 2018, BESW helped thousands of people save approximately one million pounds through campaign activity and almost 9 in 10 consumers who participated said they felt more confident that they knew how to save money and energy in the future.
Figures show that 10,843 of households in North Hertfordshire switched their energy supplier last year. That’s 20.3%.
BESW focuses on saving consumers money and energy by:
- Educating people on how to check energy costs and switch tariff or supplier if they are paying too much.
- Spreading awareness of the advice and support available for consumers. Such as programmes like ‘Energy Best Deal Extra’ and the ‘Priority Services Register’ and benefits/grants to which they may be entitled.
- Ensuring that people can save money and energy by accessing discounts and implementing energy efficiency measures, such as insulation.
Check, Switch and Save!
To support customers to save money on their energy bills, Citizens Advice provides an Independent Price Comparison Site. This can help you find out which energy supplier is the cheapest in your area.
They also have a customer service star rating section, which ranks suppliers’ customer service.
Top Tips to Save Energy
To further save energy and money, try these top tips at home:
Turning Off: Turn off electrical appliances at the plug, rather than keeping them on standby. You could save up to £80 by this alone!
Timer Switches: Use timer switches wherever possible. These can help you schedule turning appliances on and off to be more efficient.
Smart Thermostat: A smart thermostat can help you save plenty of money on fuel bills. It can learn how long it takes to heat certain rooms and ensure it is at the optimum temperature at the right time. This type of thermostat can also be controlled by your phone – meaning there’s no need to go back to a cold house!
Cool Customers: Approximately half of the money spent on energy bills is by heating and water usage. By simply turning your heating down by only one degree, you could save £75 a year.
Energy Efficient Appliances: If you need a new appliance, be sure to plump for one that is energy efficient. An electric oven with an A+ efficiency rating uses approximately 40% less energy than a B-rated oven. An A+++ fridge freezer could save nearly £200 over 10 years compared to a A+ model.
A Wash Out: Choose to wash clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees and you could save approximately £50 a year!
Shower Power: Investing in a more efficient shower head could save you around £70 a year on gas bills. What’s more, if you install a shower timer you could save even more.
Double Up: Double glazing ensures that your home is insulated from the cold and will help to minimise heating costs.
Escape Room: Stop heat escaping from your home by insulating your roof. Insulating your loft can save you approximately £200 a year on your energy bills.
The Eyes Have It: Most importantly, keep an eye on how much energy you are consuming. Installing a device that will allow you to monitor your usage, such as a smart meter, will let you track your consumption in real time. With this information to hand, you can decide if – and when – you should change the way you use energy.
Jack Philbin, Garden Square’s Centre Manager, says: “January can financially be a tough month and here at Garden Square, we’re always keen to help our customers save money wherever possible. With regards to energy, there are many reasons why people could be paying too much. Big Energy Saving Week is the perfect opportunity for people to get a bit of extra advice and support on how they can save money on their bills at home.”
For more information on Big Energy Saving Week 2019, visit the Citizens Advice website.
