There is an energy saving workshop at Citizens Advice in Leith this Thursday which aims to help you work out how to reduce your energy bills.
The event will be held at CAB Edinburgh, 23 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh EH6 8RA.
The team from Utilita Energy which is one of the UK’s fastest growing energy firms will be on hand with money-saving tips. This is part of their nationwide campaign being run along with Energy Action Scotland to reduce or even get rid of fuel poverty.
Utilita has partnered with Hibs FC for three years as its official energy partner and this relationship allows them to give football fans and others in the local community access to energy saving tips and offers.
Utilita CEO, Bill Bullen, said: “We’re delighted to launch our workshops in Edinburgh alongside Hibernian FC, which we hope will arm residents with energy saving tips in time for the cold weather, when people start to reach for their thermostats.
“We’re committed to helping our customers use less energy whilst bringing them the best deals we can. We were the first supplier in the UK to install smart meters and have saved our customers at least half a billion pounds since 2010.”
Utilita’s Emergency and Friendly Credit help customers, when their prepayment meters run out, to ensure their supply isn’t cut off.
Citizens Advice Edinburgh CEO, Benjamin Napier, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Utilita for our energy saving workshops. Utilita has been backing Scottish football for a number of years now and it’s great to have Hibs on board too so that supporters can benefit personally from advice and offers.”
Ahead of the events, Utilita Energy has given some top tips on how you can get smart with your bills whilst keeping warm:
- Seal those gaps – When cleaning your windows look out for air gaps in the weather stripping. Unless your home is very new, you’ll lose some heat through draughts around windows, doors, and gaps around the floor. Buy DIY draught-proofing which could save the average home £25 – £50 a year on energy costs!
- Switch to LEDs – Whilst dusting the lampshades be sure to replace any blown or old-fashioned halogen lightbulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs. According to Energy Saving Trust, making the big switch can save an average household up to £35 a year.
- Revamp those radiators – Bleeding your radiators regularly can make a huge difference to your energy spend and ensures you’re getting the most out of your heating system.Find instructions here on how to bleed your radiators
- Defrost and chill – We often forget our freezers are on 24-7, being one of the few household appliances that constantly consumes energy. Freezer energy use is doubled when ice is built up, so we’d recommend defrosting if build-up is over 5cm.
Here are a few extra tips to save on the running costs of your fridge:
- Set your fridge to 3 degrees and your freezer to -16 degrees – Every degree lower, uses 5% more energy!
- Keep your fridge/freezer out of direct sunlight as it will have to work harder to keep cool
- Upgrade your appliances – Is your fridge on the verge of a breakdown? TV on its last legs? If you’re thinking of upgrading one or more of your appliances, investing in energy efficient models could save you as much as £62 a year according to ‘Which?’ – see the full guide here
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