Be winter ready
The Northern Gas Network offers a Winter Preparedness Guide which provides some important tips to help you ensure you’re ready for the cold weather, helping you to keep your heating working and making sure your utility bills don’t run away from you.
How to save energy (and money)
Making small changes to the way you use your energy will help to bring down your costs and stay warm, safe and healthy.
National Energy Action (NEA): Top energy saving tips
Here are a few extra suggestions:
- Don’t fill the kettle to the top
- Use the eco and quick cycle settings on your washing machine and dishwasher
- Defrost your freezer every 6 months (and keep it full – it will use less energy)
- Use LED lightbulbs
- Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree
- Use a microwave rather than an oven wherever possible
Fuel Debt
As of January 2025, the number of UK households in fuel poverty is 6.1 million.
National Energy Action have outlined the steps you can take if you’re struggling to pay utility bills:
- Contact your energy supplier – they are required to work with you to find a manageable way for you to pay.
- Maximise your income – ensure you are receiving every benefit you are entitled to, including Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments
- Sign up to the Priority Services Register – a system that energy companies use to make sure the correct support is given to their most vulnerable customers
- Make your home as energy efficient as possible – boiler upgrade and insulation schemes are available
- Change the way you use energy – reduce shower time or prepare batches of food in a slow cooker. It’s also important to keep an eye on your meter – if your bill is estimated (marked ‘E’) you could be paying too much.
Fuel debt advice from National Energy Action
Green Doctors are energy efficiency experts offering free, impartial advice to help people take control of their bills and save energy in the home.
They offer advice on paying off debt with water and energy companies and provide sustainable solutions for fuel poor households.
