Worried about your winter fuel bills and staying warm this winter?
As the weather gets colder, keeping your home warm can become a real concern, particularly when you’re caring for someone who is older, unwell or vulnerable.
We met with Kelly Adams from the Affordable Warmth Team at Nine Yards to find out how they support households to stay warm, safe and comfortable at home by helping people better understand and manage their energy use. This includes understanding electricity and gas bills, reducing costs and making sure you are getting the support you may be entitled to.
How can the Affordable Warmth Team help?
As winter approaches, we’re going to need to put on our heating and keep our homes cosy and warm. For many people, this can be a real worry as gas and electricity costs can seem out of reach. Many people are afraid to put the heating on, and yet when you’re caring for someone who is ill or elderly, you may need to keep it on.
This is where Kelly and her colleague Connor can help. They offer free, friendly and practical support, including:
• One-to-one energy advice
• Help to understand your energy bills
• Guidance on reducing energy costs in your home
• Identifying any additional energy-efficient support you may be eligible for, such as grants and other schemes
Help understanding your energy bills
Utility bills can be quite confusing. Kelly and Connor take time to go through your electricity and gas bills so that you can understand things such as standing charges and costs. They will also have a look with you to make sure that your bills are accurate. There are lots of different types of meters, and they can help you to read your meter and submit the reading.
Kelly and Connor will also talk to you about energy costs and how to get the best efficiency from your appliances. This might include looking at ‘power hours’ and day and night rates for your electricity. They will work with you to understand what to look for and build your confidence. You may find that making small changes can make a big difference. In one household, this amounted to £1,000 per year.
In addition to all the practical advice and guidance they can give, you could be signposted to other relevant organisations to help reduce your energy costs and improve your home efficiency.
Kelly says:
“Our goal is to empower people with the knowledge and support to make informed decisions about their energy, improve wellbeing and feel more confident managing their home energy in the long term.”
Top tips for keeping your home warm and reducing costs
Heating your home
• Lower your thermostat by 1 degree to save up to £100 on your bills.
• Set your thermostat between 18–21 degrees to stay warm while avoiding wasted energy.
• Use thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to save money by only heating the rooms you use.
• Bleed your radiators if they have cold spots to keep your system running efficiently.
• Use a programmer to set your heating to match your routine and only come on when you need it.
• Move furniture away from radiators – they work best when the heat isn’t blocked.
• Close curtains at night to help keep the heat in.
Using energy around your home
• Use a smart meter to keep track of your energy usage.
• Use a smart plug to see exactly how much energy an appliance is using.
• Run washing machines and dishwashers on full loads and use eco cycles.
• Replace old-style lightbulbs with LED bulbs.
• Unplug your appliances when you are not using them to save up to £80 per year.
• Reduce your showering time to four minutes to save up to £50 per year.
• Use an air fryer or microwave for small meals instead of heating a full oven.
You can find more energy-saving tips at Nine Yards – 8 Simple Energy Saving Tips for the Home
Need more help with your energy costs?
If you’re worried about your energy costs or would like some help understanding your bills, the Affordable Warmth Team can offer free, friendly and practical advice.
Email: warmhomes@nineyards.org.uk or call on the freephone number 0800 304 7084, or by requesting support via the website: nineyards.org.uk. Referrals can also be made from professionals.
