Running a house is not cheap, especially if you have a big family, heating and water bills can pile up quickly as well as food shopping to feed a troupe of growing children. Here are a few tips on how you can cut the cost of running your household.
Bills, Bills, Bills
Heating bills can be a huge drag during the winter months so you need to ensure you are heating your house in the most efficient way. Get your boiler checked to make sure it’s working at full spec and monitor your fuel use. Using heating oil as opposed to gas is a great way to keep control of how much energy you are using and it heats up much quicker, making it more efficient. Super Saver Oil can offer home heating oil at competitive prices – get a quote from their website today.
It’s also important to make sure your house is properly insulated to keep that precious heat in. Installing proper insulation or double glazing might be pricey but it will lower your heating bills in the long run – even something as simple as thick curtains can help reduce heat loss.
Invest in smart technology. You can get smart bulbs and smart plugs that connect to an app on your phone that make it much easier to control the electricity use in your house – you can set timers and turn things off remotely. No more running around the house switching off all the lights your kids have left on! If you can spare the immediate expense, a smart meter can be a great help in trying to reduce your energy use.
Making little changes
Price comparison websites are a godsend when you’re on the lookout for cheaper broadband or phone contracts. Simply by checking any price comparison site such as Money Supermarket or Confused.com you can find the cheapest option that caters for exactly what you need.
And if you don’t want to switch suppliers or start up new contracts you can call your existing supplier and negotiate a better deal. It’s much easier than people think and if you have comparisons to hand, it is even easier to get a hefty price slash on your regular bills.
If you have a big family you may be paying for expensive TV packages in order to access the kids’ channels as well as the sports network, movie channels and various other add-ons that companies offer. However, the future is in streaming. Using streaming services like Netflix or NowTV can bring those monthly TV costs right down and there are no secret fees, one small monthly charge gives you access to their full range – including extensive options for children. Not only is it cheaper, but you can also make use of your subscription service wherever you have wifi or a data connection.
Swapping your insurance
When it comes to insurance, be it car or contents or gadget cover, loyalty doesn’t pay. Insurance companies are notorious for offering better deals to new customers whilst sneakily raising the cost for existing customers! Don’t let that contract roll over, keep track of renewal dates and check for a cheaper alternative.
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