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How to Save Money on Your Household Bills

12th Sep 2013

There’s no getting away from the fact that household bills are continuing to soar, petrol prices are increasing and the cost of food seems to be higher every single week. Combine this accelerated inflation with the fact that many people have had their work pay frozen and it’s understandable that budgets are starting to strain severely under the pressure.

However, there are a number of ways to ensure that you are not paying more than you should be when it comes to your household bills. Below are just a few examples to help you gain a bit more spare cash each month:

1)      Shop around

You should never accept the price of items like gas, electric and home insurance are the cheapest available. Whenever your renewal comes through for these essential costs you should always contact other providers for quotes, or us a price comparison site to try and find a better deal. Doing so can save you around £250 over the course of a year.

2)      Energy efficiency

Ensuring your home is as energy efficient as possible can help you save on your bills. Replacing your old windows with modern double glazing, and adding insulation into your loft and walls can help keep warmth in, meaning you don’t need to turn your heating on so much in the winter months. If you are feeling particularly energy efficient then you can even add solar panels to your roof – you may even be able to apply for Government funding to cover the cost of installing these which makes the much reduced energy cost you’ll end up with seem even more appealing. Before adding solar panels to your roof, Woodlands roofers recommend making sure your roof is free of damages. A roofing company can inspect and repair your roof prior to adding the solar panels, which can save you a lot of hassle later.

3)      Cashback websites

Using a cashback site such as Quidco or TopCashback.co.uk is a great way of saving on your bills. These sites provide particularly good returns when signing up for a new deal with energy suppliers. For example, signing up with N Power’s dual fuel deal on Top Cashback will give you £101.00. When you spilt this over a year it saves you approximately £8.42 per month on your bill.

4)      Don’t spend more than you need

This goes for most things that you buy. The average family’s food waste costs around £680 a year and its thought that 60% of this is still edible when thrown away. Many people are spending far more on their TV packages and mobile phone contracts than they use. It’s estimated the average person with a mobile phone contract is spending £200 more per year than they actually need on minutes and internet data they are never going to use. It’s worth taking stock of your monthly spending and budgeting this accordingly.

5)      Check direct debits

Direct debits can add up and take money out of your account often without you even realising. You should regularly keep track of what is coming out of your bank account and make sure that you need everything that is being debited. It is usually very easy to check you list of direct debits to ensure that you need everything that is being spent. You should also check items such as extra mobile phone insurance which may already be covered under your home’s contents insurance policy. With the Direct Debit Guarantee you are allowed to cancel payments at any time, though it is worth notifying the company in writing that you have done so.

About the author: Get a fair deal on your home insurance policy with The Co-operative Insurance. Generate a quote online today, purchasable online for immediate cover.

References:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2080705_save-money-household-bills.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/8523615/Five-ways-to-save-money-on-household-bills.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/4611204/50-ways-to-save-cash-Household-bills.html

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/billshub/household-bills.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/15/food-waste-uk-homes

http://blogs.which.co.uk/technology/mobile-phone-tariffs/mobile-phone-users-overspending-by-200-a-year/

http://www.thesmartwaytopay.co.uk/directdebitexplained/pages/directdebitguarantee.aspx

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