The smart way to put a cap on energy bills

Households are facing huge hikes in energy bills as a result of the new price cap recently announced. Katie Plumstead, Group Marketing Manager at ESP, looks at some of the measures households can take to help reduce the impact, and has advice for wholesalers on the products they can access.

With the new energy price cap announced by Ofgem that came into force on 1 April, average energy bills are expected to increase by £693 to £1,971 a year - a rise of 54%. Experts have also warned that the energy price cap could rise once again in October 2022 by 20%. With heating and hot water accounting for around 50% of the total energy consumed in a typical UK home, householders are facing stark choices when it comes to managing their budgets and there is a sharp focus on the measures that can be taken to help reduce energy consumption and combat rising bills.

A smart thermostat is something that installers can easily add to their customers’ home heating

Research shows that few people really understand their heating controls

There is no shortage of advice out there on simple things that can be done in the home to cut energy usage, and the Energy Savings Trust has published a table showing the typical yearly savings that occupiers of an average three-bedroom gas heated home in Great Britain could make. Among the measures suggested are turning off lighting, switching off standby, draught-proofing gaps in doors and windows, taking a four-minute shower, washing at 30 degrees and not overfilling the kettle. The experts at The Energy Saving Trust also dispel the myth that it is cheaper to have the heating on low all day. They say having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money.

Understanding how their heating system is performing and how they can make small changes to improve its efficiency is another consideration for householders. It may be that installing new heating controls - timers, and thermostats - or replacing older models with more efficient ones, can help them have more control over when the heating should be on and what temperature the rooms should be. Research shows that few people really understand their heating controls and many simply just don’t use them. This is where installers, supported by manufacturers and wholesalers, can play a part in advising and educating consumers on the best products for their circumstances and how to use them.

Smart choice

The evolution of smart technology has a key role to play in energy efficiency. It provides homeowners with a real opportunity to make conscious decisions about how they heat their homes and what effect this can have on their energy bills. A smart thermostat is something that installers can easily add to their customers’ home heating, allowing householders to control and monitor the room temperature and thermostat activity from anywhere in the world, via an app on a smart phone or tablet.

It is estimated that 6% of households in the UK already have smart thermostats, according to YouGov, which adds up to 1.67 million homes. That is just a fraction of the 22 million households estimated to be affected by the new energy price hike. Helping homeowners understand how their heating system is performing and how they can make small changes to improve its efficiency should be a priority for installers. By recommending the installation of smart thermostats and giving advice on heating controls, they can help householders to make immediate savings.