9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (2024)

Richard

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9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (2)I hate to be the one to tell you, but winter is on its way and there’s nothing you can do about it.

And while there are lots of great things about the winter months (Christmas, for example!), as the temperature starts dropping so our heating bills tend to go up.

Fortunately if you’re worried about how much money you’re spending on staying warm, and you want to be a little more frugal this winter, there are a variety of ways to save money on your heating bills.

Here are my top tips:

Get the Best Deal

First off it’s important to realize that different utility companies may charge different rates for heating your home. If in doubt, try jumping on one of the many price-comparison sites (here in the UK I’m a huge fan of CompareTheMeerkat CompareTheMarket.com).

Just a few minutes spent with your recent utility bills should quickly help you to deduce whether there are better deals to be had in your area.

Heat the Right Rooms

9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (3)Unless you live in a one-bedroom flat then you probably use some rooms more than others.

For example on the weekend you probably spend more time in the living room than your spare bedroom.

In addition to this unless you have a giant kitchen, it’s entirely possible that the simple act of cooking can raise the ambient temperature in your kitchen.

This means less (or no) heating required.

Invest a few minutes considering which rooms of your house reallyneed to be heated, and either turn down or turn off the heating in those lesser-used rooms.

Tweak Your Heating Timer

Timers are a wonderful invention of the modern age; they let us arrive home to a warm house in the evening, or wake up to piping hot water in the morning. But if you’re like many people then a little “tweaking” has the potential to save you quite a bit of money.

Examine your current settings to see if any changes can be made. For example how soon before getting home do you really need the heating turning on? And how many hours do you really need your hot water boiler on each day?

Insulate

Homes don’t magically hold the heat. Turn off your heating on a cold day and you’ll find that the temperature in your house starts falling pretty rapidly.

One of the reasons for this is simply that heat can escape from your home out into the atmosphere.

Keeping it trapped for as long as possible can therefore have a major impact on saving money.

Consider, for example, getting double – or even treble – glazing.

Block off cold draughts with draught excluders.

And check that you’ve got suitable insulation in your loft.

While each of these “improvements” can cost money initially, they can repay you again and again over time.

Get Busy

9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (4)If you sit around motionless in the winter you tend to feel the cold far more than if you’re active.

I know from personal experience that I get a lot colder sitting here writing blog posts than I do when I’m in the kitchen chopping up home-grown vegetables for storage.

In other words, if you’re getting cold at home consider doing something a little more active, even for a short period of time. You’ll increase your body temperature without the need to turn up the thermostat.

Wrap Up

An oldie but a goodie here; just wear more clothes at home.

If you’re sitting around in shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of winter, while simultaneously worrying about budgeting for your fuel bill, you might want to consider popping on some warm clothes.

You don’t need to dress like an eskimo; even adding a long-sleeve t-shirt or some comfy sweat-pants can make a surprising difference to how much heating your home requires.

Eat Right

9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (5)The food we eat helps us to keep warm. It does this in two ways; firstly if the food itself is warm then it increases your body temperature.

Secondly, warm food or cold, your body creates warmth as it goes about digesting your meal.

If you want to save money on your fuel bill this winter consider giving up the salads and sandwiches, and instead try altogether “heartier” foods.

They don’t have to be any more expensive; a bowl of home-made vegetable soup from the garden together with some freshly-baked and buttered bread can do wonders, yet costs next to nothing to produce.

Get Out More

If you want to save as much money as possible on heating your home then how about simply going out more?

Spending time visiting friends and family isn’t just great fun; it also means you can turn off your heating and instead benefit from other people’s warm houses.

Downsize Your Home

To finish off this article I have a small admission. For the last 5 years I’ve lived without central heating of any kind. It wasn’t even fitted in our flat.

We relied on the tips above, plus a couple of low-wattage oil-filled radiators on the coldest days.

And you know what? We were perfectly toasty.

Why? Well firstly our home was small – so the simple act of moving about warmed the air noticeably. Our flat was also on the top floor, meaning that the weak rays of the winter sun fell directly on our roof, further warming the flat.

One of the best ways to save money on your fuel bills is therefore to simply downsize to a smaller home.

Less space = less heating required.

You’d be surprised how little you can spend on winter heating bills when you live in a small home.

How do you save money on your winter fuel bills? Please leave your top tips in the comments section below…

9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (6)

saving money winter cold heating

9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (7)

Richard

Sun-worshipper and obsessive frugality blogger. For loads more money-saving advice come and join us on Facebook.

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9 Ways to Save Money on Winter Fuel Bills | Frugality Magazine (2024)

FAQs

How to save money on heating bill during winter? ›

  1. 15 Ways to Cut Down on Your Home Electric Bill in Winter. ...
  2. Weatherstrip your doors and windows. ...
  3. Switch to a smart thermostat. ...
  4. Close the damper when not using the fireplace. ...
  5. Give your heating system a yearly checkup. ...
  6. Don't block your air vents. ...
  7. Check the insulation in your house. ...
  8. Adjust your water heater's temperature.

How can I save money this winter? ›

Adjust the Temperature

When you are asleep or out of the house, turn the thermostat back to save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills. A smart or programmable thermostat can make it easy to set back your temperature. But make sure the temperature is comfortable for pets!

How to cut a heating bill in half? ›

11 Hacks To Help You Save On Heating This Winter
  1. Turn Down Your Water Heater. ...
  2. Replace Your Furnace Filters. ...
  3. Maintain Your Doors And Windows. ...
  4. Turn Down Your Thermostat. ...
  5. Close Unused Vents. ...
  6. Turn On Your Ceiling Fan. ...
  7. Check Your Attic Insulation. ...
  8. Turn Your Bathroom Fan Off.

What is the best way to cut home heating or cooling bills? ›

(You can also save on heating costs with this small home upgrade and set your thermostat to this ideal temperature).
  1. Be smart with the thermostat. ...
  2. Go green with renewable energy. ...
  3. Upgrade your equipment. ...
  4. Manage your home's temperature. ...
  5. Check your home for air leaks.
May 20, 2024

What are 10 ways to conserve energy? ›

Top 10 energy saving tips
  • Switch off lights and electrical appliances when not using them. ...
  • Switch to energy-saving LED light globes. ...
  • Shut doors and close curtains. ...
  • Understand and improve your home's energy use. ...
  • Manage your heating and cooling. ...
  • Get the best energy deal. ...
  • Insulate your roof. ...
  • Save money with solar energy.
Nov 17, 2023

Does keeping your house cooler in the winter save money? ›

During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.

How to save heat energy at home? ›

9 Tips To Conserve Heat In Your Home This Winter
  1. Keep Heating Units Well Maintained and Clean. ...
  2. Keep Cold Air Outside and Warm Air Inside. ...
  3. Use the Sun for Free Heat. ...
  4. Keep Cozy with Layers. ...
  5. Use Ceiling Fans in the Winter. ...
  6. Refrain from Heating Unused Spaces To Conserve Heat. ...
  7. Turn the Temperature Setting Down at Night.

How many months of bills should you have saved? ›

Generally, your emergency fund should have somewhere between 3 and 6 months of living expenses. 1 That doesn't mean 3 to 6 months of your salary, but how much it would cost you to get by for that length of time.

How can the cost of heating a home in the winter be lowered? ›

Adding insulation to the walls and attic of your home can help to lower your heating costs each month by reducing the percentage of heat loss through the roof and walls.

What is the best way to save money on heating? ›

Find the lowest comfortable temperature

You'll usually find that a temperature between 18°C and 21°C is comfortable. Try setting your thermostat 1 degree lower to see if you still find the temperature comfortable. Every degree you turn your thermostat down can save around 10% on your energy bill.

How do I set my thermostat in the winter to save money? ›

According to the Department of Energy, you should aim for a lower interior temperature in winter1. They suggest setting the thermostat at about 68 degrees or lower during the daylight hours when no one is home, then raising it a little when you get home.

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