A mum has shared a number of tips to slash her energy bills, and one of them involves going to her local Wetherspoons.
Heidi Ondrak has seen her direct debits for gas and electric hike from £98-a-month to £268 - a 173% rise - and is dreading another increase in October this year. The mum-of-two is finding as many ways as she can to cut down on her bills and save energy.
She has taken to showering at her local gym to save on her water bill, and limits showers to four minutes if using the one in her home in Plymouth. Heidi said she also saves £28-a-month on meals by switching off her oven and hob and instead using an air fryer, slow cooker or George Foreman grill to make her family dinners.
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Now Heidi has decided to light her home with cheap solar panelled garden lights which she charges at her window during the day, so that she can keep her house lit for free.
Heidi, a project manager, said: “I’ve got my heated blanket ready for the winter months and I’m prepared to go to Wetherspoons to work as you can buy a £1 refillable coffee which is much cheaper than heating the home.”
The 51-year-old started looking for things she could do to save money when her energy provider was switched to a £268 direct debit with Eon. She added: “They had quoted me £388 at first but I haggled to get it down to a more affordable price and explained all the things I would do to cut my energy bill down.
“I stopped using the oven and hob as I worked out that to cook a roast chicken was coating me about £1.80 for two hours, whereas if I do it in the slow cooker it costs about 80p for eight hours. My teenagers still like quick freezer food, but I get them to defrost it in the fridge slightly first, which lowers the temperature of your fridge too, before cooking it for 10 minutes in the air fryer.
“I make an inventory of my fridge and freezer so that I’m working my meals around what I already have and only buying what I need. I batch cook a lot too to get more out of the meals.”
Heidi works from home most of the time, as her office has shrunk in size due to the pandemic, and is worried about the costs associated with spending more time in the house.
She said: “I’ll go into the office every so often but I’m thinking of going to Wetherspoons or the library every so often just so I’m not draining my electricity and gas at home. You can pay a £1 for a refillable coffee or tea and then work away in the warmth.
“It’s tricky if you have to make calls but if you just need to do some desk work it might be helpful to save you some money.”
Heidi has also ditched her tumble dryer and is doing the "sniff test" on clothes to avoid as many loads of washes a week, adding: "If it still smells alright I’ll give it a spray and not wash in until it’s actually dirty. I’m doing everything I can to cut down.”
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