How To Cut My Energy Bill This Winter?

Slash Your Energy Bills By ￡60 This Winter with 1 Simple Energy Saving Tip!

The energy price cap has just gone up by 10%, and there are discussions about another increase coming in January. Rising energy costs are putting pressure on households, and saving money is becoming more important than ever. This winter, optimising your heat pump can help you slash your heating bills. In this blog, we’ll show you simple adjustments and tips that can save you big, including a real-life example of how small changes can add up to substantial savings (How To Cut My Energy Bill).

Real-World Case Study – My Winter Savings Story

Let’s dive into a real-world example of how a few tweaks to your heat pump setup can result in significant cost savings.

Scenario: I have a 10kW air source heat pump (ASHP), Solar PV, a 27kWh battery, and I’m on the Octopus Go smart tariff. Like many homeowners, I want my house to be warm when I wake up in the morning. Initially, I set my heating to come on at 7 am, ensuring the house was comfortable when I got up.

The Adjustment: During the colder months, I realised the heat pump was doing a lot of heavy lifting between 5:30 am and 7 am, drawing significant power from my battery. By changing the start time to 5:30 am, I allowed the heat pump to gradually warm the house before peak rates kicked in, thus optimising the energy use and saving battery power for later.

The Savings Breakdown: Here’s the impact of that small adjustment:

• During off-peak hours (Octopus Go offers rates at 8.5p/kWh between 12:30 am and 5:30 am), I ran my heat pump while drawing energy from the battery for the rest of the morning.
• Battery Optimisation: The heat pump was able to do its heavy lifting before peak rates kicked in, saving around 4 kWh of battery power per morning.
• Cost Comparison: At off-peak rates, that 4 kWh cost 8.5p per kWh, compared to 25.25p per kWh at peak. The net benefit was roughly ￡67 per day, which translates to over ￡60 in savings if maintained over 90 winter days.

How To Cut My Energy Bill: Simple Home Maintenance for Big Savings

It’s amazing how small, routine maintenance can add up to big energy savings. Here are a few key maintenance tasks you should consider:

• Check Your Filters: Your heat pump has air filters that need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. Clogged filters make your system work harder, consuming more energy, which ultimately increases your costs. Cleaning or replacing filters every month during winter can boost efficiency and help lower your energy bills.
• Clear Outdoor Units: The outdoor part of your heat pump needs good airflow to work efficiently. Make sure it’s free of leaves, snow, or other debris that could be blocking it. Keeping this area clear reduces strain on the system and makes it easier to heat your home, resulting in lower bills.
• Adjust Thermostat Settings: Don’t just set it and forget it. Adjusting your thermostat to lower temperatures when you’re asleep or away from home can save you a substantial amount. Even a small reduction of 1-2 degrees can lead to noticeable savings over time.

How To Cut My Energy Bill: Smart Tariffs – How Timing Saves You Money

Using a smart tariff can make a huge difference in your heating costs by allowing you to take advantage of cheaper electricity rates during off-peak hours.

• What Are Smart Tariffs? Smart tariffs are energy plans where electricity costs less during specific times of the day, typically when overall demand on the grid is lower. By aligning your heat pump’s schedule with these lower-cost periods, you can significantly reduce your energy costs.
• Pre-Heating Savings: Instead of heating your home during peak hours, consider programming your heat pump to start earlier during off-peak times. Your heat pump is smart enough to gradually bring your home to the desired temperature, ensuring that it’s comfortable when you need it, without the extra cost.
• Using a Battery for Extra Savings: If you have a home battery, you can store cheap off-peak energy and use it during peak hours. This means you can run your heat pump or other appliances using the stored energy instead of paying the higher peak rate, leading to more savings.

Maximise Savings with Solar, Batteries, and Smart Tariffs

The real magic happens when you combine heat pumps, Solar PV, batteries, and smart tariffs. Here’s how:

• Solar PV for Daytime Savings: Solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours, which can either be used immediately or stored in a battery for later use. By combining Solar PV with your heat pump, you can essentially generate free electricity to power your heating.
• Batteries Store the Savings: When paired with a battery, any excess solar power generated during the day can be stored and used later, like during the night or early morning when your heat pump needs to kick in. By topping up your battery during off-peak hours, you can avoid paying peak rates altogether.
• Smart Tariffs Enhance Efficiency: Smart tariffs like Octopus Go offer incredibly cheap electricity during off-peak periods. Charging your battery and pre-heating your home during these times lets you maximise efficiency and savings. When all these components work together, you get the ultimate energy-saving solution.

Winter Savings Summary – Adding It All Up

So, how much can you save by making these changes? Let’s break it down:

• Routine Maintenance: Regularly cleaning filters and maintaining your heat pump can save you up to 10% on energy costs by improving efficiency.
• Smart Tariffs and Timing Adjustments: Using off-peak electricity and pre-heating can save over ￡60 annually, potentially more depending on the tariff and schedule.
• Combining Solar PV, Batteries, and Smart Tariffs: The biggest savings come from an integrated system. With Solar PV generating electricity, a battery storing cheap energy, and a heat pump running efficiently, the savings can add up to hundreds of pounds each year.

By adding up these different savings strategies, you could be looking at annual savings of over ￡120 or even more, depending on your specific setup and habits.

Heating your home during the winter doesn’t have to break the bank. With energy prices continuing to rise, taking advantage of simple maintenance, smart tariffs, and optimising your heat pump’s schedule can lead to substantial savings.

The combination of Solar PV, a battery, and smart tariffs creates an incredibly efficient system that works to your advantage. Make these changes now, and you’ll feel the benefits—not only in comfort but also in your reduced energy bills.

Want to start saving on your energy bills this winter? Contact us today for a consultation on how you can optimise your heat pump setup and maximise your savings!

Author: Jim Laidlaw, CEO & Founder at Boxergy

Visit Jim’s LinkedIn profile.