25 May 2023 , 04:00
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Over the last year, the UK Government has given people unprecedented support with rising bills, especially following the increase in the cost of living - and although they should ease as we move into summer, many households are eligible for further help.
Since October, the Energy Price Guarantee has limited the amount every household can be charged per unit of gas and electricity – and that will remain until June.
That means due to the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme, the Government has covered around half of a typical household energy bill this winter, saving around £1,500 by the end of June.
People on means-tested benefits will automatically receive £900 in cost of living payments (split into three payments across the next 12 months).
Pensioners who usually receive Winter Fuel Payments in November and eligible disabled people will receive automatic payments worth £150 this summer.
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There are now more than 40 schemes to help with the cost of living. See what you could be eligible for at gov.uk/helpforhouseholds
“All these measures make a real difference”
(Jule Harris)Nicole Ratcliffe, 41, lives in Manchester with her husband and their two young daughters. Here, she shares how she took steps to save money.
“Both my husband and I work from home, so if we had the heating on all day, it would have cost us a fortune, so the first thing we did was turn the thermostat down from 21°C to 19°C."
“It seems silly to waste money to heat the house when you can put an extra layer on. All of us have our own blankets for snuggling up and watching TV."
"What’s funny now is that, as the warmer weather comes in and we don’t really need them, the girls still want ‘their’ blankets to cuddle up in."
“We were really keen to get a smart meter, because we had no idea how much our bills would be, but it made sense to know what energy we were using and where to cut back as much as we could.
"It was installed in February, and it’s a good way of knowing exactly what you’re using."
“Saving energy becomes part of your routine very quickly, so we always make sure we don’t overfill the kettle, for example. We’ve also switched to an air-fryer so we’re not using the oven, and I think all these separate measures make a real difference."
"It makes complete sense when the energy prices are so high – I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to save money.”
“It all adds up”
Kirsty Devine, 37, lives in Halifax with her husband Darren, a 42-year-old gas engineer, and son Darren, 15. Combined with government support, making small changes have helped them save energy.
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“Over winter, we received payments from the Government which was very helpful."
“And last year, we started making a few changes to our energy usage when there were whispers of price rises. We turned our thermostat down from 20-21°C to 18-19°C and thought that would be enough."
“We were on a variable rate rather than a fixed tariff because it had always been cheaper, but by November, we were starting to panic."
“In December, we got a bill of £190 for gas and £95 for electricity. Normally it was £90 for both. We’d even insulated under the kitchen cupboards because we knew they were a cold spot."
“We also got the hot water bottles and blankets out – I try to keep busy in the day and it’s not too bad."
“Our energy supplier launched ‘energy saving sessions’ which offered you money back if you didn’t use much energy at certain times."
“In January, I started using the gas hob and microwave more than the oven. This helped save some pennies - it all adds up." We now also wash up by hand because the dishwasher costs per cycle."
“And we fill up the washing machine before using it – once you realise each cycle costs you more than a pound, you don’t do a half load!"
“We wash everything but towels and bedding at 30°C. We used to use our tumble dryer all the time, but they cost so much so we bought an airer to hang the washing."
“Now the slightly lower bills are coming in – our gas bill last month was £100 which is nearly half of what it was in December – so there is hope!”
“Money from the Government was a nice surprise”
(Tony Bell)Gill Erskine lives in Berkshire with her husband Andrew and two young children. She shares how government support helped reduce bills, plus other tips.
“Last September, it was all over the news that gas and oil prices had gone through the roof and everyone was going into abject panic."
“I knew about it but didn’t realise how much they’d go up – we were paying £70 a month for the electricity in our two-bedroom bungalow (we don’t have gas, we live in the country and use oil) and now it’s £220.
"I remember getting the first big bill and thinking: ‘Wow – this is the real thing!’
“That’s when we started trying to save energy. We got in touch with the Energy Saving Trust and they sent someone round – I think we paid a donation – to do a draught assessment."
"He found lots of major draughts and filled them in and suggested we keep the back door locked over winter – it’s a 1980s house, it’s single glazed and there loads of areas for improvement. I made a heavy curtain for the back patio door to trap the heat in."
“And I was given an electric blanket for Christmas – it’s cheap to run and really good. That was a game changer and took the edge off things. We did get some money from the Government which was a nice surprise."
“We have also cut down our oil usage – we filled up in October and haven’t done it again since, whereas we’d usually do it twice in the winter.”
What if I’m on a prepayment meter?
(Getty)One in seven UK households has a prepayment meter. By now you should have received vouchers for a £400 discount to help with energy bills split over the months between October and March.
You can redeem these at a top-up point, for example at a Post Office or PayPoint shop. Payzone outlets do not accept the vouchers.
Vouchers expire after 90 days. If your voucher does expire, it can be reissued. All vouchers must be redeemed by June 30, 2023.
Spend your vouchers by June 30.