JW Wood have some simple ways to save on your energy bills, ensuring you don't get a nasty surprise when you receive your energy bill!

Find the best deal.

Do you know what tariff you’re on? Do you know if it’s a fixed or standard rate? We bet you don’t, but knowledge is power when looking for the best deal.

While you may have entered into a fixed deal at the start of your contract, you might now be on a standard tariff after switching over from the initial contract period, meaning you could be spending a lot more than you need to.

When energy companies swap you over from their fixed rates to their standard rates, this is when bills start to become expensive and when energy providers start to make real money.

Ensuring you’re not paying over the odds is sometimes as easy as logging into your account and choosing a cheaper tariff online. Plus, there are plenty of comparison sites out there that will help you find the best deal.

Install a smart meter

By 2020, every home should have been offered a smart meter by their energy supplier.

A smart meter links up to your gas and electricity meters and monitors your actual energy usage, meaning you don’t have to submit meter readings to your supplier and get an estimate for your overall energy usage.

This way, you will only pay for what you actually use, simple and smart!

Turn off lights and close the doors

It’s all about the basics, switching off lights and closing doors could save you money on your energy bills.

Many of us leave lights on, have the TV blaring even though we’re in the kitchen and never switch plugs off at the wall, meaning we’re wasting energy that we’re not using.

Closing doors and even curtains helps to stop heat escaping from the room, while moving large pieces of furniture away from radiators will help to heat up the room and stop it from being absorbed.

Keep the thermostat down

As the nights get colder, it may be tempting to turn up your thermostat. But before you do, you should be aware how much heating your home costs.

Energy Saving Trust predicts that you could save £80 a year by turning your thermostat down by just one degree, as over 60% of our energy bills are spent on running the boiler.

It's unlikely you'll notice the difference in temperature when turning down the thermostat by one degree.