Experts share tips on cutting soaring energy bills, expected to further rise to £2,800 by October

Ofgem chief announced energy price cap will rise to £2,800 in October;Every 5 minutes, your boiler spends 1p;Switching from a G-rated boiler to an A-rated one could save families up to £1,160 a year;Google searches for “efficient energy use” hit a decade-long peak in April 2022;Boilers, fridge/freezers, dishwashers, ovens and washing machines are generally the most energy-consuming items in a household;Tips on how to prep now for October peak include installing a smart meter, switching to LED bulbs, draught-proofing and double glazing.

Energy bills are hitting British consumers harder than ever in the past decade. As a result of the soaring energy tariffs from April 1, Google searches for “efficient energy use” in the UK reached a 10-year peak last month. On Tuesday, Ofgem chief Jonathan Brearley announced that the energy price cap will further rise from £1,971 to £2,800 in October this year, amid an ongoing cost of living crisis and a volatile gas market. The upward trend for gas prices is expected to continue until 2024. Consumers are left wondering still how to cut their energy bill as efficiently as possible.

Energy experts Boiler Central (www.boilercentral.com) advise on the top five most common household items that can drive energy bills through the roof. They offer top tips on how to make easy adjustments that can save over a thousand pounds a year. Energy pros bust the myth that kettles are the main culprits in our homes for energy consumption, marked at only £3.15 per month, so Brits can enjoy their cup of tea guilt-free.

1. Boiler – £82/month

There is a reason why old houses with separate, uninsulated tanks for heating water usually mean bad news for your bills. Every 5 minutes, your boiler costs you 1p on average. If you are house hunting, make sure you understand the heating set up (combi boilers are generally better) and the energy-efficiency grade of the boiler.

1. Fridge/freezer – £43.68/month

Fridges and freezers are the second most energy-consuming items in a home. Since they need to stay plugged in all the time, the best way to cut this cost is to invest in a better-rated fridge/freezer.

1. Dishwasher – £10.30/month

While a dishwasher is the third most expensive item to run in a household, they do save on water consumption, let alone time. The energy use is likely three times higher though in households with multiple children, where several loads of dishes are done every day. Timing your dishwasher for when tariffs are lower and wiser use of dishes can cut one load a day and reflect well on your monthly utilities for both energy and water.

1. Oven – £9.36/month

If you are passionate about baking or enjoy regular foiled ready meals, chances are your oven uses more than £9.36 a month. This may not seem like much, but when factoring in all the other appliances, it is worth trying to cut oven usage whenever possible by syncing the cooking better to fit at least two dishes at a time or one after another to save on pre-heating; opting for batch cooking; and reheating food in the microwave, which only uses around 44p a month.

1. Washing machine – £6.86/month

On average, washing machines use more than twice as much as kettles. Using lower temperatures is an easy way to drive these costs down. For lightly soiled clothes, 30 degrees is warm enough to kill most bacteria.

The best medium-term solution to cut down one’s energy bill is to invest in A-rated appliances. For example, switching from a G-rated boiler to an A-rated one could save families up to £1,160 a year.

Myles Robinson from Boiler Central (www.boilercentral.com) comments: “If you want to reduce your annual energy bills, the first place to focus your attention is on your home heating. Start with energy efficiency – reduce your consumption of energy and change your habits with a smart meter.

“Next, consider switching to renewable energy and replacing your boiler. Appliances also consume power, but it requires much more energy to heat the entire house. This is why choosing an A-rated green boiler to reduce energy consumption is so important.”

Myles offers several other top expert tips which consumers can adopt today, in preparation for the October peak, to save on energy bills, such as:

• installing a smart meter, cutting up to £75/year;
• switching to LED bulbs which can slashes an impressive 75% off one’s entire energy use;
• draught-proofing by installing thicker curtains, sealing any cracks and blocking unused chimneys – all adding up to an easy £35 decrease on one’s energy consumption;
• investing in double-glazed windows, thus reducing energy bills by up to £110/year.