Help with your energy bills and tips to reduce your consumption

Saving Water and Help with Bills - Yorkshire Water 
Yorkshire Water offer short-term and long-term schemes that help people who are struggling to pay their water bills. If your bills are mounting up, check what help’s available to you. 

Reducing water usage
You can also look at ways to reduce your water usage. There are a few free water saving devices that are super easy to fit, from 4-minute shower timers to cistern bags that save 1-2 litres of water every time you flush. See what water saving devices Yorkshire Water can offer you for free. 

And there are a few other things you can do to reduce your water bills too, such as using homemade water butts to collect rainwater for your plants and only boiling as much water as you need. Find more water saving tips here. 
For the latest information on the government’s Cost of Living support, go to the Help for Households Campaign website. 

Saving Gas and Electricity Usage
To help you use less energy and save some money, utility price comparison and switching service Uswitch have shared a guide with 102 energy-saving tips for your home including: 

- Defrost your fridge freezer regularly so it doesn’t use more energy than necessary
- Use a high spin speed so clothes come out of the washing machine almost dry
- Turn your thermostat down by just a single degree can save you as much as £60 per year
- Move your furniture away from radiators on the wall to enable warm air to flow more easily and efficiently around the room 
- Bleed your radiators to remove the trapped air that stops them from working as efficiently as they should 
- Clean dirty windows, both on the inside and outside — dirt can block up to 10% of natural sunlight 
- If the sun only warms some rooms, leave internal doors open to let the warm air circulate throughout your home
- Have a read of the full guide for more energy-saving ideas. 

Winter fuel payments
If you’re a pensioner, you could get help to pay your heating bills during the winter. Find out more about winter fuel payments. 

Cold Weather payment 
To help with your heating bills, you could receive additional payments over the colder months if you are on certain benefits. Check if you’re eligible for cold weather payments. 

Independent energy advice
Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for lots of up to the minute information and tips or the Groundworks Green Doctor project: www.groundwork.org.uk/greendoctor/ offers free, independent advice and support to help you save money on your energy bills. The service is open to anyone throughout Yorkshire, by calling 0113 238 0601 or emailing: greendoctorleeds@groundwork.org.uk