HOUSEHOLDS in the UK are forking out up to £792 extra on bills during lockdown – here we explain how to slash these costs.
From energy bills to your food shop, leading comparison sites are warning about the increased cost of living associated with the coronavirus crisis.
Confused.com estimates energy bills have soared by £36 per month on average during lockdown as thousands of Brits continue to work from home.
That means over the four months of March, April, May and June, the average home is spending £144 more on gas and electricity.
Confused.com also says the average household is spending £38 more per week on food, with supermarket spends going up from £61 to £98 per week – a staggering £608 over four months.
Max Green, energy expert at Confused.com, said: “We’re all spending a lot more time at home, which means more TV time and a few more cups of tea.
"But all of this adds up to a significant sum on our energy bills."
Meanwhile, uSwitch says out-of-contract broadband users are paying an average of £10 more for their internet, or £40 over four months, compared to those who are in a new deal.
If you take everything into account, households are potentially spending up to £792 extra on everyday bills.
Here we reveal how to cut costs.
Switch supplier
If you’re out on contract, you should check if you can get a cheaper deal elsewhere.
For example, if you're on an standard variable tariff (SVT) deal you are likely throwing away more than £300 a year.
Switching applies to all your household bills and there are plenty of comparison sites to choose from:
Energy bills: Comparethemarket, MoneySupermarket, Look After My Bills
Phone and internet: Uswitch, Broadband Choices
To get started, you’ll need to provide basic information such as your postcode and current supplier – it'll also help to have your most recent bill handy.
Once you've found a deal you're happy with, confirm the switch to start saving.
You'll also want to make note of when your new deal finishes, so you can compare prices and switch again.
If switching isn't an option, we've rounded up several ways to save money on your phone, internet and energy bills.
Other ways Brits are saving money during lockdown
IT'S not just bills that households are saving money on during lockdown.
MoneySupermarket has shared the ten most popular things Brits are doing to keep more pounds in their pockets.
- Stopped buying takeaways
- Cutting their own hair
- Switch to supermarket-own brands
- Stopped drinking alcohol
- Cooked in bulk
- Cancelled gym memberships
- Baked their own bread
- Grown own vegetables
- Sold items online
How to lower your energy bill
Use less energy: It may sound obvious, but the first step to saving money on your gas and electricity bills is to use less energy.
For example, turning down your thermostat by just one degree could save you £75 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
And spending one minute less in the shower each day could save you £8 a year, per person in your household.
Change your bulbs: Swapping old bulbs for energy-efficient LED ones will save you around £40 a year, says Energy Saving Trust.
Meanwhile, turning off unused lights around the house can cut your bill by around £13 a year.
Don't charge your phone all night: If you're guilty of leaving your phone to charge all night, you could be wasting around £33 worth of energy a year.
Most phones only take around two hours to fully charge, so try and make sure your fully juiced up before you go to bed.
Switch off: Leaving electrical goods on standby means they're still using electricty.
Instead, switch them off fully and you could save around £30 per year.
TVs and game consoles are the most important to check.
Use cash-saving apps: From helping you calculate how much you're spending, to expert advice on cutting down costs, there are a whole range of money-saving apps to help you get on top of your bills.
The Sun has rounded up the best cash-saving apps currently on the market:
- The Energy Calculator
- Splitwise
- Eco Charge
How to lower your internet and phone bills
Check your usage: If you're paying for more data, texts or minutes than you need, you may be able to downgrade your current tariff.
Most major suppliers will be able to give you a breakdown of how much you're using each month.
If you're find you've regularly got leftover data, texts or minutes, speak to your provider about switching to a cheaper deal.
This also applies to internet speeds – if you don't think you need as quick of a connection, talk to your broadband supplier.
Haggle your way to a cheaper deal: Don't want to downgrade your package? You could try haggling down the cost.
While no means a guaranteed way to get a cheaper deal, a quick phone call could end up saving you money – especially after most providers upped their charges in April.
Some O2 customers are paying up to £11 a year more, while a proportion of Three customers are paying £20 more annually and some EE customers are now on contracts that cost £27.48 a year more.
Meanwhile, Sky has hiked prices by £72 a year for some users and Virgin Media has upped its costs by £80 a year for thousands of customers.
If you're looking to haggle, start by checking for cheaper deals on the market.
Once you've found a better deal, make sure you tell your current provider and explain how unhappy you are with the prices you're paying.
If you have no luck arguing for a discount, instead ask for a freebie to be thrown in.
How to lower your food bill
Shop around and compare prices: Being loyal to one supermarket doesn't always pay – you could save money by shopping around.
Comparison tools such as this new one created by LatestDeals can help you keep tabs on prices.
Swap pricier brands for supermarket-own: MoneySavingExpert recommends the Downshift Challenge to swap out branded goods with cheaper alternatives.
If you like what you’ve tried, then stick to it and MSE says you could save up to £1,500 a year.
Those who are still sceptical can read reviews on SupermarketOwnBrand.
Write a list and stick to it: By writing a list, you can help stop pricey impulse buys.
You're also much more likely to only by products that you'll definitely use, which means no food should go to waste.
Hunt out yellow stickers: Many bargain hunters actively look for yellow sticker discounts in their nearest supermarket.
But did you know each store usually has a specific time for when they start reducing?
You can check when you supermarket should start discounting items right here.
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