Experts have warned online energy saving advice might be doing more harm than good - and could even be a danger in the home. Philippe Commaret, who heads up customer advice at a UK energy supplier, revealed a number of ‘tips’ that could pose a serious risk to your health, with things like switching a fridge off overnight, potentially resulting in food turning bad.
However, 21 per cent of homeowners and renters think doing this will reduce their energy bills. A further 26 per cent are under the impression turning off your boiler at night will save money - when actually, the opposite could be true.
Depending on how well insulated your home is, switching a boiler off overnight could see your property’s warmth drop drastically and cause more serious issues such as damp walls. Other commonly searched tricks such as ‘black radiator paint’ - a tactic 12 per cent believe will cut down energy costs - could also be adding to your energy bills as certain types of paint can make the radiator less efficient.
The advice comes after a poll, of 2,000 homeowners and renters by energy provider EDF, found 34 per cent have ‘Googled’ advice on how to cut down on their energy bills. Philippe Commaret, from EDF, said: “Despite these searches being amongst some of the most popular online, when it comes to consumers looking for advice on how to reduce their energy bills, not all make a positive difference and some can actually be dangerous.”
Nearly half of adults in the UK are struggling to pay their energy bills even ahead of a massive price spike that is expected to take thousands of pounds out of the pocket of families. The Office for National Statistics found 45% of adults who pay energy bills found it very or somewhat difficult to do so in the first half of August.
This is even before massive bill rises hit more than 20 million households across the UK. Energy regulator Ofgem is set to announce changes to the price cap on energy bills next Friday.
It is expected to set the cap close to £3,600 per year for the average household. This is well above the £1,971 per year that the average household is currently paying. The next price cap will come into force on October 1. It is then due to be updated again on January 1, and April 1. Based on today’s gas prices, experts expect the cap to rise all three times.
The winter will prove tough for everyone with an energy bill to pay, and those on the lowest incomes are set to be the most impacted. In its wide-ranging survey, the ONS also found the recent hot weather has had an impact on many people in the UK.
While 55% said they were not impacted by the heatwave, one in five (21%) said their leisure activities were affected, and 14% said their general health had been impacted. Government advice on how to handle the heatwave reached through to 85% of people, the ONS figures suggest.
Nine in 10 people said they drank more fluids during the hot days, and eight in 10 said they closed curtains or blinds to keep their homes cooler. Meanwhile, 65% said they stayed out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, 53% closed windows when the day was hottest, and 51% avoided exercise at the same time.
