How to save money on your energy bills

The study estimates that current students could end up being £100m worse off compared to those eligible for the full support package.

“Physically and mentally, my health has struggled due to the cost and not being able to have heating or hot water,” one student found.

58% of students have seen their energy bills go up due to the cost of living crisis, and are now expected to cut back on shopping, eating out and socialising.

The biggest effect will be on shared house students who may find their bill suddenly shooting up. If you have 4 people living together each using their own TV or Computer together with shared amenities it will become quite expensive.

According to the study, 16% of students have had to cut back on the quality or quantity of food to afford essentials such as their energy bills. University students are having to cut spending to be able to afford the rising cost of living. Parents have also been found to be contributing to their children’s rent more often than ever, meaning the cost of term-time accommodation is impacting the whole family, not just students.

Here are some tips from the Energy Saving Trust to help you save money on your energy bills (and improve your green credentials!)

Switch off standby

You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

Draught-proof windows and doors

Unless your home is very new, you will lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney. DIY draught proofing like using draft excluders under doors can save you money.

Turn off lights

Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £20 a year on your annual energy bills.

Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more.

Careful with your washing

You can save around £28 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine more carefully:

• Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures.
• Reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.

Spend less time in the shower

Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save you £65 a year.

Swap your bath for a shower

Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath, but swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower could save you £11 a year!

Be savvy in the kitchen

Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen – by avoiding overfilling the kettle you could save yourself £11 a year on your electricity bill.

Fill your dishwasher

Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £14.

Bills all-inclusive renting

This isn’t a shameless plug, we promise! But by signing up to an all-inclusive tenancy you can be assured that the price you pay won’t suddenly change (i.e. go up!).

All Here! Students properties are bills inclusive, and that includes wifi, electricity and even things like the gym. And whilst the perception is that en-suite rooms in private student accommodation are more expensive than living with a private landlord living at Here! can actually save you on average £432 a year*

Find out more on our blog Expectation vs. Reality

*based on the average savings of Here! Cardiff (£220.58), Here! Exeter (£168.06), and Here! Glasgow (£910.35). Breakdowns of those savings can be found in our piece on the Expectation Vs. Reality of Student Accommodation.