“Heat the person, not the home” – Elaine Morgan, Principal of Strategy Reform at GMCA
With energy bills still soaring and the weather dropping below freezing, everybody could do with a few extra pounds to help keep themselves warm this winter. It was -4°c when I set off for work this morning – now that’s cold! So, we all need a way to save money and keep warm, all at once; some might say it’s impossible.
Luckily for us, Elaine is bringing us two tips from the community on how you can stay toasty warm in your own home, whilst also keeping those bills down. These two tips are simple but effective and, as Elaine is showing us, are already being used to help keep the people of Greater Manchester warm this winter.
Sometimes, cost-cutting isn’t about saving loads of money all in one go, it can be about chipping away at your expenses, in this case, your energy bills. It sounds crazy to be reducing your heating when the winter’s getting into full swing, but believe me, these tips could really help.
Every time you use your kettle you’re spending money, so using it multiple times a day can add up, especially if you’re boiling more water than you need. For Elaine’s first tip, she recommends filling your kettle (I know it sounds counter-productive), but, instead of leaving all of the leftover water in the kettle, pouring it into a thermos flask, keeping your water hot and available for refills throughout the day, saving money on several more kettle boils. This could save valuable energy, meaning less money spent on energy bills!
Heating your house can be expensive, but what if you were able to heat just yourself, rather than the rest of your house, which may be empty. Elaine told us that she’s invested in a heated boot, which can cost as little as £15 from Amazon; “Heat the person, not the home”, she said, and she’s right. These electric-powered heated boots can help keep you warmer for less, and avoid wasting heating your home where and when it isn’t needed.
Both of Elaine’s tips might need some small investment at first, but with the cost of living crisis showing no signs of letting up, it might be well worth using these tips to cut down your energy usage and save your money. Thank you to Elaine for her top tips, and don’t forget to get in touch with your top tip if you think it could help even a few people reading this.
If you want access to more support and advice, see our Cost of Living Support page and emergency plan, and subscribe to our Manc Money Matters newsletter, to ensure you keep up-to-date on how you can keep costs low and save your money.
