Summer is on the way but with gas prices set to rise, now is the time to get your home winter-ready. Take advantage of a home insulation offer from E.ON and you could save up to £340 on your energy bills.
As we move into summer the cost of heating your home may be the last thing on your mind, but with the cost of gas set to rise in coming months, now is the time to consider how energy-efficient your home is.
Both Scottish & Southern Energy and British Gas have said that wholesale prices – the amount suppliers pay for their energy – have risen. This increase in costs is likely to be passed onto consumers in the coming months.
So despite the cold weather being a while away, now is the time to make your home winter-ready. First, make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your gas and electricity by comparing prices offered by the different suppliers and switching to a favourable rate long before winter arrives.
Insulation: a giant duvet for your home
But it’s also important to make sure your home is well-insulated. Insulation is like a giant duvet interwoven between your house’s walls and loft, and serves as a buffer keeping heat in and cold out.
Un-insulated homes can lose a lot of heat: according to the Energy Saving Trust 33 per cent of heat is lost through walls and 25 per cent is lost through the roof. And poorly insulated homes cost more to run as they require more heat, more frequently, to keep them at comfortable temperatures.
Energy firm E.ON has launched an exclusive insulation offer where householders can have cavity wall and loft insulation professionally installed for just £99 each.
What’s more, the offer is open to both E.ON and non-E.ON customers, and those aged over 70 or those on certain state benefits can get the work carried out for free.
Slash your gas bill
E.on says insulating a home could save householders as much as £340 off their gas bill*.
John Fawcitt, E.ON’s energy efficiency manager, said: “There are millions of poorly insulated homes in the UK which are wasting around £1 billion on their heating bills each year.
“Families could reduce their energy bills by around 20 per cent just by making sure their lofts and walls are properly insulated.
“We hope this deal will help people who aren’t eligible for free insulation to get energy-fit and save money.”
Shrinking household budgets
Confused.com energy analyst Lisa Greenfield welcomed moves to make homes more energy efficient.
She said: “Last year, the increased cost of gas and electricity added an average of £52** to every householder's bill in the UK, putting a strain on household budgets.
“Unfortunately, hints from British Gas and Scottish & Southern Electric about the cost of wholesale gas suggests that we’re not about to buck that trend and some of the cheapest deals have already been pulled from the market.
“This insulation offer from E.ON is market leading and you don’t even have to be a customer to benefit. As gas and electricity prices continue to creep up, increasing the energy efficiency of our homes is one of the best ways to keep costs down. “
Find out more about the E.ON offer here or call 0800 096 1108. You can also read our guide to insulating your home here.
We’ve also put together a guide answering your frequently asked questions on all aspects of energy, from big things such as choosing the right tariff, to the little things like knowing where to find your supply number. And our round-up of the most commonly held energy myths will make sure you’re armed with the facts before making the switch to a new gas or electricity supplier.
* Based on a 1940s, three-bed, semi-detached home, with a 10-year-old gas boiler and a gas price of 3.407p/kWh.
**Based on an average user consuming 16,500 kWh of gas and 3,300 kWh of electricity, on a standard cash/cheque dual fuel plan, averaged across all 15 UK regions.
