TIPS to Reduce Your Utility Bills
How long has it been since you really looked at everything you spend money on? If you do an audit of your bank account or your receipts, you will often find sneaky expenses that have crept into your life without you realising. Here’s a few tips that might help you find some extra savings and reduce those nasty utility bills.
Check Your Subscriptions
Streaming Services – This can be a great place to start saving. How many streaming services do you have and when did you use them last? Look at cutting down to one streaming service that includes most of what you want and cancel the others.
Music Streaming – Are you paying for multiple music streaming services but only really use one of them? Maybe you have a family subscription but you are the only one using it? Or you all have an individual subscriptions but you could be using a family subscription? Again, choose one that supplies the most of what you are after and axe the rest.
Gym memberships and the like – How often do your really use the membership and is there a free option? For example, free community yoga classes instead of a yoga membership, community park runs etc
Check your Utility Providers
Electricity & Gas – There are now government websites that help you to easily compare your provider to others so definitely check these out.
Phone & Internet – Go back and review your previous bills to see exactly what data you use. Often you will find you are on a plan that provides far more than you actually need and a cheaper plan might be better for you. It can also work the other way and if you use more data than your plan provides, it may be cheaper to be on a higher plan initially and not have lots of extra charges. It really comes down to knowing what you need and comparing plans.
Insurance – Make a habit of comparing policies at least once a year at renewal for your car and home insurance. Make sure you are comparing like with like – so same excess amount, replacement value etc.
With all of the above providers, it pays to ask if they will match a competitor quote. This will save you the trouble of transferring and often they will do what they can to keep your business. Also be aware that some comparison websites are sponsored by the providers they list so always try to get some extra quotes from providers they don’t include.
Reducing Energy Bills
Be Energy Efficient – Generally everyone knows they should switch lights off in rooms you are not using, switch off appliances at the wall instead of leaving on stand by and use appliances like washing machines and dishwashers outside peak times. However it is often easy to forget or get side tracked. Make a time once a day to work through the house checking lights and appliances. This helps you get into the habit and you will find you do it automatically more often.
Heating and cooling – Try to do this only in the rooms you are using rather than the whole house. Make sure doors and windows are closed and block draught vents like under doors. This helps keep the warm or cool air in.
Whether this blog gives you a few new ideas or maybe just reminds you of things you already know, I hope you have found something to help cut costs and give you a little more in the back pocket!
Disclaimer – The information provided in this Blog article is of a general nature and is not advice.