As the cost of living crisis hits thousands of households across the UK harder than ever, winter 2022 is set to be one of the coldest and hardest yet.
Ofgem confirmed its price cap will rise to £3,549 a year on October 1 for those on default tariffs paying by direct debit. Leicestershire Live reports that a rise of 80 per cent will be seen in energy bills, increasing £1,578 in total.
The price cap rise will be capped at £2,500 on average, as promised by new Prime Minister Liz Truss - however, this is still a huge rise for many Brits. It is more vital than ever for households to keep their spendings low, and some of that can come from saving on energy bills.
However, there are many energy saving myths circulating due to this, which are inherently untrue. Here, we have debunked the most popular ones.
READ MORE - Pensioners getting DWP New Winter Fuel Payment could get extra £300 in November
'The price cap is exactly how much I'll have to pay for energy'
This is incorrect - not just because it is now being capped by the Government, but also because the price cap is merely a limit set by Ofgem to stop energy suppliers overcharging their customers.
This means if you use more energy, you’ll pay more. The price cap also sets a maximum rate for the daily standing charge, which is what you pay to have your home connected to the grid.
There are differing price caps depending on how you pay your bills too. For customers on a default tariff, who pay by direct debit, the price cap is currently set to switch to £3,549 in October - to then be capped at £2,500 by the Government.
Pre-payment meters were also set to jump further to £3,608 - a rise of £2,017. But, this will also be capped at £2,500. These figures are representative of a household with typical energy use.
'The dishwasher is the most expensive way to wash dishes'
This one is more detailed, as according to Uswitch, there is "no absolute proof" that hand-washing your dishes or using an appliance is more energy-efficient. This applies to both the amount of water and electricity used.
Instead, it depends entirely on your method. There are many factors to take into consideration, like:
how energy efficient your dishwasher is
what setting you have it on
how full it is
On the other hand, hand-washing can be more expensive if you waste water that you've heated up by not having a bowl and don't pre-soak.
Uswitch suggests you should just be economical in whatever method you decide to use. So for a dishwasher, you'd always want to use an eco setting, wait for it to be full and never waste water by pre-soaking.
If washing by hand, then you would want to pre-soak - and you'd always want to use a bowl to avoid wasting water.
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'Overfilling the kettle doesn't waste money'
This is incorrect. Uswitch suggests that you only fill the kettle with water you will use, as it can save you £11 a year on electricity bills.
As well as saving money on your energy bill, you'll also save water being wasted in the process. Most kettles will have a scale on the side of them that shows you how far to fill them, depending on how many cups of tea or coffee you need.
'Appliances do not use energy while they're on standby'
This is also untrue. Appliances still receive power from electricity sockets if it is plugged in and on standby. So, it is still costing you money!
For example, when it comes to your television, leaving it on standby means it is still drawing power so it can respond to signals from the remote control.
Always make sure you turn off your appliances at the wall to avoid adding to your energy bill. In general, turning off appliances at the plug can save £55 per year.
'Turning the thermostat up heats the house faster'
Also one that is inherently untrue - turning your thermostat up won't have any impact on how quickly your home heats up. Turning the thermostat to 20 degrees would make the heating run until it is room temperature.
However, turning it up to 25 degrees from the get-go will put strain on your boiler, and it won't make the room heat up any quicker. It will just eventually make the room warmer.
'Keeping the heating on low all day saves money'
This one isn't as easy to explain. Most experts argue that it depends on how well your home is insulated, as this will determine how much energy you need to heat it up.
Uswitch have previously said that the greater the heat loss from your home, the more energy you will need to maintain the inside temperature. Therefore, if you go by this logic, it is best to only turn the heating on when you need it.
Some energy specialists have also argued for the opposite side, and have said you should keep the heating on constantly. They told Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis that condensation collects within the walls whenever you switch the heating off.
This can then conduct heat outside the home, which could mean you lose heat more quickly in the long-run.
'It's far too expensive to insulate my home'
False - there are plenty of cheap ways to insulate your home without splashing the cash. You can create draught-excluder for free by stuffing an old jumper with socks and stitching it into a long snake shape.
Rugs can be used on floorboards to stop cool air blowing in. If you're good at DIY, you could also try insulating your loft yourself - rolls of insulation start from around £25 from B&Q.
'Smart meters don't even save me any money'
This is both true and false. On their own, a smart meter won't save you any cash - but the idea of a smart meter is that they provide real-time data to give you a more detailed view of your energy consumption.
This means it can show you how much energy you're using, and where you could cut back to save money. Smart meters also ensure accurate billing, meaning you're more likely to be charged for exactly what you've used.
'It is always cheaper to use appliances in the evening'
This can be true - but not always. It all depends on what type of energy tariff you're signed up to. A few energy providers charge less for using electricity at certain times of the day, normally at night.
The name for these type of energy deals are "time of use" tariffs. Off-peak hours tend to be quieter periods when power demand is at its lowest, for example between 10pm and 8am.
'The oven is the cheapest way to cook food'
A study founded by energy supplier Utilita and supermarket chain Iceland actually found that the microwave is the cheapest way to cook food. The findings were based on the energy consumption of 83 appliances across 24 sources.
However, there are ways to cut down your costs if you can't cook by microwave. For example, batch-cooking food could save you cash as you're only heating up the oven once, while using the right sized pan, with a lid, can also help your energy consumption.
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