What Can I Do To Avoid Energy Bill Shock? | Home Energy Tips

We all know the unpleasant feeling when your energy bill arrives in the mail and it’s far more than you were expecting. Finding the money to cover the excess amount can be stressful. If this has happened to you, you might be wondering what you can do to avoid energy bill shock in the future.

This guide will show you some easy and straight-forward ways to make energy bill shock a thing of the past.

Monitor Your Use

Your electricity bill may provide some insight into how much power you’re using. However, there are ways to get a more detailed and current look into your electricity usage.

Electricity meters measure your energy consumption and can help you keep track of your usage. There are different kinds of electricity metres that vary in their informativeness. Smart meters are the latest in electricity measurement technology. They can be connected to an app on your phone that allows you to see your electricity usage from as little as 30 minutes ago.

Installing a smart meter is an excellent way to avoid bill shock. It helps you stay constantly informed about whether you’re on track for a reasonable electricity bill or not. Knowing that your usage is higher than normal allows you to take action early and reduce the costs.

5 Small Habits To Change

Whilst tracking your usage for the month is helpful, it doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to reduce costs when you’re on track for an expensive bill.

Making small changes to the way you use your appliances and electronics is a way to effectively minimise your usage overall. Here are a few habits you can tweak, which can make a big difference to your bill.

1. Only cool (or heat) the room you’re in. If you spend a lot of your day in one room, such as your home office, then there’s no need to pay to make the other rooms the perfect temperature. Instead use natural means of cooling (or heating) other rooms. For example, pull blinds to block the sun’s heat in the morning and open them up again later in the day when it cools down.

2. Use energy-saving settings on everything from your computer to your dishwasher to your washing machine.

3. Use natural light to your advantage. Where you need to use artificial light, make sure you’re using LED globes. These are far more efficient than other lightbulbs and can cut your electricity usage significantly.

4. Only put the amount of water you actually need in the kettle when you boil it.

5. When your computer is ‘off’ but still plugged in and ‘on’ at the wall, it will still consume energy. Instead, connect all your devices and appliances at your desk (laptop, monitor, chargers, lamp) to a single power board. That way you can turn them all off at the end of the day with a single, easy switch.

Switch to a Prepaid Plan 

Reminiscent of other monthly subscriptions like your gym membership or Netflix account, many electricity providers are now offering prepaid monthly energy plans.

The advantage of these plans is not so much that they’re cheaper than a pay-as-you-go plan. Instead, they are designed to make you feel more in control of your finances. Knowing exactly how much your bill will cost you each month means the days of bill shock are behind you. Not to mention a prepaid plan facilitates budgeting, which can lead to significant savings indirectly.

If this has got you thinking of converting to a pre-paid plan or a plan that comes with a smart meter, the team at Compare & Connect can help you make the perfect switch. Deciding on a new plan can take minutes online or just one convenient phone call to our experts.