Saturday 1 October – the day that millions of Brits all over the country have been dreading. After months of warnings, mainly due to the war in Ukraine, consumers will finally feel the impact of the fuel hike.

Despite the recent price cap on energy bills, it is estimated that the average household fuel bill will rise from £1,971 to £2,500 a year. To some, this means cutting back on the luxuries. To many, this means having to choose between heating and eating.

Although the news can seem pretty depressing, there is hope. There are many small things you can do to cut back on your fuel costs. When combined together, they can significantly reduce your spending. Here I share some helpful ideas.

  • Invest in a slow cooker. It has been proven to be the most energy-saving appliance in the kitchen. A slow cooker left on a medium heat for 8 hours will cost the average household 36p, making a massive energy saving. A slow cooker isn’t just for casseroles. They can be used to roast joints of meat and even to make cakes and puddings. There are lots of fantastic websites that will give you some ideas of how to use your slow cooker. If you can’t afford to buy a slow cooker new, look in charity shops and social media selling pages. You could even share ownership of a slow cooker with a family member or friend.
  • Consider buying an air fryer. An air fryer runs a close second place as a fantastic energy-saving gadget. We bought one recently and use it every day, even better it’s a safe and easy way for my teenagers to cook their own tea. A standard air fryer will only use around 18p an hour in electricity. You can cook pretty much cook anything in an air fryer. We use it to roast vegetables, heat pastries, and cook small quantities of meat to name a few. You can pick a cheap air fryer up for as little as £25 new.
  • If you have a microwave, give food a blast of heat before oven cooking. You will cut your oven cooking time by half.
  • Don’t leave appliances on standby. Even when you are not using your appliances, they could still be costing you money. A microwave or oven for example will still be using electricity unless it is turned off at the socket. Keep a “checklist” of things to remember to switch off at the socket when you leave the kitchen, and make sure anyone else in your household does this too!

 

  • Take frozen food out of the freezer several hours before you use it, such as frozen vegetables. If it’s meat, let it defrost slowly overnight in the fridge.
  • Always cook food on the hob with the lid on. This will stop unnecessary heat escaping, saving you money.
  • When boiling vegetables, double up! Place a rack (like a cake cooling rack) onto the top of the pan. Place another layer of vegetables on top of the rack, then put a lid on top. The steam from the vegetables boiling on the bottom will gently steam the top layer, halving your energy usage.
  • Consider chopping food up into smaller pieces before you cook them in the oven. You will cut the cooking time by half.
  • Don’t overfill your fridge. Overstocking your fridge with too much food makes the fridge have to work harder to circulate the cold air. If you can, shop little and often. This will prevent overfilling the fridge and also prevent food waste.
  • In winter months, not everything needs to be kept in the fridge. Got a pantry or garage? Store food like fruit, vegetables and salad in air tight containers in the coldest part of your house.
  • Batch cook where possible. If you are lucky enough to have a freezer, consider making up larger quantities of your favourite meals in one go, it will save you time and money in the long run.