Heating and Electricity Advice - Arthritis Action

Heating and Electricity Advice

We all need to stay warm, healthy, and safe this winter. Here are some tips to help you save money with your energy bills.

 

Keep the heat in

Draught proofing your home is one way of keeping the heat inside of your home. This does not have to be expensive – foam tubing can be used around windows, and draught brushes can be fitted to letter boxes. Keeping the curtains closed after the sun sets will also keep the heat in.

You might also be eligible for home insulation schemes and other cost saving measures to improve energy efficiency. To see what you might be entitled to, visit: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/energy-company-obligation-eco/energy-company-obligation-eco-support-improving-your-home.

 

Financial help

If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, there is help and support available. The sooner you inform your supplier of this, the more help you can be offered. They might be able to change your tariff, or see if you can pay in smaller instalments.

For any other benefits you might be entitled to, visit: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-help-if-you-cant-afford-your-energy-bills.

 

Small and manageable changes 

Even small changes to your lifestyle and house can help to save you money over the winter. Examples include:

  • Switch your light bulbs to LED light bulbs, which use less electricity. The bulbs don’t cost much, but will save you money over a few months.
  • Make sure to switch the lights off whenever you leave a room.
  • Bleed your radiators twice a year. This allows them to heat the room more efficiently.
  • Unplug your devices when you’re not using them, and make sure you’re not leaving TVs or other devices on standby. This is especially useful if you know you’re leaving the house for the whole day, or over a weekend.

 

Staying Warm

If you are struggling to keep your house warm during a particularly cold day, Warm Spaces is a directory of public places people can go to keep warm and have other helpful facilities such as toilets, refreshments and Wi-Fi. They also have a useful map of the UK with markers showing where warm spaces are near you: https://warmspaces.org/spaces.

 

Eating well

Warming and nourishing food helps your body to stay warm for longer after a meal. Slow cookers are a cheap way to cook healthy and balanced meals. If you do not have a slow cooker, turning your oven off 10 minutes before the end of cooking time can also help as the oven will still remain at the correct temperature.

Some examples of low-energy, low-cost meals can be found here: https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/energywise/low-energy-low-cost-meals.

 

To find out more about the UK’s Disability benefits process, visit our Arthritis and Disability Benefits page.