To help you through these challenging times, we've pulled together some helpful hints and tips to help you save money and make the most out of your home.
With essential outgoings rising with inflation and wages / benefit income failing to keep up we are seeing a real risk of poverty rising so what better time to check you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, Chek out our dedicated page: https://www.haltonhousing.co.uk/help-and-support/money-advice
An estimated bill could lead to credits or worse debts building up over many weeks and with rising standing charges remembering to keep a pre-payment meter topped up even through the warmer weeks to lessen the impact when cold weather hits.
Check out OFGEM information on how to check your bills – remember a direct debit allows bills to be spread over the year to avoid a spike through winter months but often the usage is forecast so to be sure its an accurate reading contact your energy company with a note of your readings each day for the last 7 days and the forecast will be far more accurate and could reduce your direct debit payments.
With the cost of essential food items increasing now is the time to take the taste test. Look at the brands you buy and consider buying the unknown brand or supermarket own label version – go for one item at a time and see if you can notice the difference. The suggestion is to go one price brand less than you currently buy and you will be surprised how the taste is often unchanged but can keep the £££ in your pocket!
Visit your local Social Supermarket and take advantage of big discounts on items you would normally buy, often end of line products; seasonal packaged discounts or those close to sell but dates but always safe to eat and a bargain! You can find out more about your local social supermarket below.
Take a look at the number of appliances you have around the home and how much they cost to power. According to government figures (energy consumption) the average home now uses 13 electronic devices (including TVs, mobile phones and other gadgets) with is a massive increase from the 90s when only 4 devices were regularly used.
Luckily the higher number of gadgets hasn’t led to a larger consumption of energy as newer electronic devices are now smarter and cheaper to run.
Checking whether you are using your boiler effectively could be one of the key ways to save money. We've put together a user-friendly guide to checking your boiler settings to avoid wasting heat.
If you've not done so already, you might want to consider signing up for a supermarket loyalty card. These often providing discounts, vouchers or discount days as you accumulate points. It's worth signing up to save money off the items your regularly purchase – some of the big supermarkets offer a self-scanner so you can keep an eye of the shopping bill whilst you are shopping.
With higher heating costs you should begin to look at other bills you may be able to save money off.
Water bills are reducing this year by 0.8% but this reduced bill could be enhanced through many of the support packages offered by United Utilities such as a single person discount, water meters and even payment breaks if your benefits change.
Social Broadband Tariffs are available to benefit claimants and those on a low income so you may save money on this essential service – if you are looking for work and claim Universal Credit speak with your work coach about help with TalkTalk data packages they can help with
If you have children the cost of child care can be eye watering but different support schemes are available to help with the cost, the government website offers help to explore the schemes to see which suits you and your household best: https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
Free school meals and Healthy Start Milk & Vitamins can be a useful money saver for families on income-based benefits, check out eligibly and how to apply here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/
