With Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announcing that the two-year Energy Price promise has been slashed to a mere six months, many are looking once again for ways to reduce their household consumption of gas and electricity.
If this sounds like you, then you're in luck - as savings expert at discounts platform Deal Town, Sam Whillance, has explained to the Daily Express how Britons can easily keep costs low this winter with handy storage hacks.
The expert's first point of call was addressing the fact that keeping the freezer as full as possible makes it work more efficiently, leading to bigger savings on energy bills at the end of the month.
Read more: Peak hours you should never use washing machine or dishwasher to save money on energy
It's a super simple trick that anyone can try at home, and the best part about it is that you don't necessarily have to ram your drawers with food. Instead, you can bulk it up with common household items - like old newspapers for example.
Sam said that these are "a great item if you want to keep your freezer full", going on to explain: "Simply move food items towards the outer sides of your freezer and stuff the interior spaces with newspaper. This way, you are keeping your freezer at maximum capacity."
And while old newspapers or magazines can be used for this purpose, any paper whatsoever will do the job - junk mail, old and unimportant letters...you name it. Alternatively, Amazon sells bundles of recycled paper for just £3 per pack.
Another item Sam recommended the humble 'packaging peanut'. The expert, continued: "Small pieces of Styrofoam, often used to fill up space, provide cushioning, and help prevent shock in moving boxes. They are also, in fact, a great space filler for a freezer.”
People can buy bags of 'packaging peanuts' for under £5 on Amazon or eBay. Sam said that 'stocking up your freezer can save money in several ways' as keeping it full and compact reduces energy consumption.
He explained how that works: “Most of the energy your freezer uses goes towards cooling down the air that comes in when you open the freezer door. So, when your freezer is full, there is less room for warmer air to come in, and the items that are in there will help to cool down any warmer air that does sneak in."
Other items people can use for this are ice blocks or bags with water, the expert recommended.
He said: "If you do not have enough food inside the freezer to keep it full, using things such as ziplock bags filled with water, ice blocks or even just bags of ice can help prevent warmer air from entering. These items are cheap and effective.”
Sam continued: “Foods you stock up your freezer with can help lower the costs of running it. By organising your freezer space, using more frozen products, and freezing leftover fresh food where possible, we can reduce our food waste and save money.
"Essentially, keeping it full and compact means less energy will be used - reducing your bills."
Finally, Sam also advised people to unclutter the fridge, 'especially near the ventilating outlets as keeping space at the top and sides of your fridge helps the cool air move around easier'.
He explained: “Try organising your goods so you can still pack just as much in while keeping track of everything you've got. Any bulky foods can be repacked into reusable freezer bags - try squeezing the air out and sealing."
Read next:
- Woman who hasn't had heating on for a year shares eight tips to keep warm and save money
- Martin Lewis explains how you can get an extra £200 in time for Christmas using simple trick
-
From flats to terraced homes - The bills for every house type under Energy Price Guarantee
-
Martin Lewis predicts average energy bill will go up 73% in April after Budget U-turn
-
Drivers furious as Tesco takes £120 for fuel even if they buy much less
