Irish households are feeling the pinch due to the soaring cost of living that is impacting energy, fuel and food prices.
People's pockets are becoming increasingly lighter at the end of each month thanks to rising inflation which is projected to peak at 8.5%.
According to the ESRI, inflation will eventually average at 6.7% for the year which represents the highest annual rate since 1984.
People have been noticing this surge reflected in their bills, with many seeing a stark difference in recent months compared to the past few years.
This means many will be looking for any way possible to lower their costs, and thankfully there are some easy ways of doing this when it comes to one of the biggest expenses.
Heating bills have seen a huge jump in recent months and are set to be high again before the summer months thanks to a forecasted cold snap.
Irish people could reduce their household bills by hundreds if they follow some easy hacks, the Mirror UK reports.
These include one idea involving foil costing just €1, as well as adjusting heat timers and ditching the tumble dryer.
Here's how you can save money on your energy bills according to analysis provided to the news outlet by consumer group Which?.
- Lowering your thermostat dial by just one degree could reduce bills by around as much as €100 per year.
- Adjusting central heating timers to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption.
- For rooms such as bedrooms that stand empty throughout the day, people should consider turning the radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely.
- Fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help reduce the rate of heat loss in any room. You can purchase ten metres of kitchen foil for just €1 in Tesco.
- Lowering the temperature of your washing machine is an eco-friendly way to save money. Even a 20°C wash can do the trick in some cases, particularly when using liquid detergent rather than powder.
- For drying clothes, aim to dry clothes on a rack instead of in a tumble dryer - for those who do opt to use a dryer, clean its filter first to improve energy efficiency.
- Not quite a simple tip, but did you know up to a third of heat disappears through the roof? As a result, it makes sense to add insulation if you can. Which? found that installing loft insulation, if you do not have it already, could save you over €200 per year in energy bills depending on your home.
- Buy a draught-excluding cushion and put it in front of your door to maximise savings tackle draughty windows, doors, chimneys, floorboards, skirting boards and loft hatches - this can be done using draught excluder strips or expanding foam fillers. The saving could be €30 a year.
- When changing lightbulbs, swapping old-style bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs saves around €9 per year in running costs. As they are longer lasting than a single bulb, they could eventually cut around £180 from your energy bills, compared to an old-style halogen bulb.
- Turn appliances off at the power if they're on standby. For a typical home, this could save €65 a year.
READ MORE: Taoiseach warns Government can only do so much to help spiralling energy costs
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