It is Big Energy Saving Week (17-23 January) and Ealing Council is encouraging residents to check whether they could save money on their fuel bills or are eligible for financial support to help with their energy costs.

A national campaign backed by Citizens Advice and the Energy Saving Trust, the Big Energy Saving Week focuses on raising public awareness of how to switch energy supplier or tariff to get the best deal, access discounts and make homes energy efficient. 

Around 22% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes. But by making yours more energy efficient, you can cut your energy bills and help fight the climate crisis. 

Make small changes to save big

There are plenty of tips on how to save money and cut down on your energy bills thanks to the Energy Savings Trust.

You can also have a look the Citizens Advice guide to managing your energy bills, or read some helpful tips below:

• Get help if you are struggling to afford your energy bills. You might be able to get £140 off your electricity bill or a £140 voucher for your prepayment meter with the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you are either getting the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit or are on a low income
  
• If you are struggling financially, check whether you could benefit from Local welfare assistance. The discretionary support scheme helps people to try to maintain an independent life or for those facing an immediate financial crisis

• Save up to £36 a year in the kitchen by using a bowl to wash-up rather than running a tap, reducing your washing machine use by one cycle a week, and only fill the kettle with the water you need
  
• A dripping tap can waste more than 5,300 litres of water a year, so make sure your taps are properly turned off

• Spend one minute less in the shower each day and a family of four could save £50 a year on energy and water bills. Replacing an inefficient shower head with a water efficient one could save a household of four people around £80 a year off gas and water bills.

• A running tap wastes more than 6 litres of water every minute, so turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face

• If you switch a light off for just a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again. This will save you around £14 a year on your annual energy bills

• Replace your bulbs as and when you can with energy efficient LEDs – on average it could save about £35 a year on bills

• Turning your appliances off standby mode can save you £40 a year and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily
  
• Save £28 a year by cutting back on washing machine and dishwasher use by one cycle a week, and only filling the kettle with the water you need

• If you turn down your main thermostat by 1 degree, you could save around £65 a year. But make sure your home is warm enough during cold weather. Cold homes can damage your health

• Installing a room thermostat, a programmer and thermostatic radiator valves and using these controls efficiently could save you around £85 a year.

• Draught-proofing of window and doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can save around £30 a year on energy bills

• Check whether you could benefit from the Green Homes Grant scheme, which can provide up to £10,000 per household for improvements to the efficiency of homes
  

Big London Energy Switch

Residents in Ealing are being encouraged to check the Big London Energy Switch website to see whether they could benefit from the scheme. There is no obligation to switch if you do decide to register and more than 33,000 households in the capital have already benefitted from the free and simple scheme, which aims to use the collective bargaining power of thousands of households to secure a better deal on the cost of energy bills.

The Big London Energy Switch invites pre-vetted energy suppliers to compete for your custom to ensure that all participants get the most competitive deal. The next auction takes place on 15 February 2022 and you will have plenty of time to review and decline if you do not wish to take up the offer.

‘We are now facing a cost of living crisis’

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, deputy leader and member for climate action said: “The colder months can already be a difficult time for many residents heating their homes and we are now facing an energy and cost of living crisis which is creating extra financial pressures on our residents. That is why the council is stepping in whilst the national situation remains so challenging and doing everything possible to make sure people are saving as much as they possibly can on their energy bills.

“There are plenty of simple steps to take around the house which could help save significantly on bills, as well as a number of support schemes designed to offer financial help to people who may be struggling. I encourage everyone to check and see if they can benefit.”

Councillor Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, and Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for decent living incomes, have this week written to Government asking for urgent action on the cost-of-living crisis, highlighting the stark financial pressures facing many Ealing households.