How to save money on household bills

With the cost of household bills continuing to rise across the UK, we’ve pulled together a list of dedicated guides to help you save money. Cutting costs is easier than you think and the average household can save hundreds of pounds each year by following our tips.

• Reducing your home phone and broadband bill
• Get a cheaper mobile phone bill
• Cutting the cost of your water bill
• Cheaper gas and electricity
• Are you paying too much Council Tax?
• Slash the cost of driving and public transport
• Pay your bills on time
• Find out more

Don’t forget that although it can be tempting to just look for the cheapest deal, it’s best to match your utility contracts to your needs.

For example, if you make lots of international calls, it might turn out cheaper to get a monthly contract with free international calls.

This could be more expensive but will cost you less than a cheaper contract if you go over your allowance.

Reducing your home phone and broadband bill

There are a large number of suppliers out there and it’s easy to cut your monthly phone and broadband bills.

Start by following these simple tips:

• Call your supplier direct and ask for a better price
• Use a price comparison website to find a cheaper deal
• Match your contract to your lifestyle – i.e. if you use a lot of data and are charged extra when you go over, a deal with more data might be cheaper

Get a cheaper mobile phone bill

Is your mobile phone contract coming to an end? Are you trying to find the cheapest way to get the latest handset?

Here are a few tips to keep your bills low:

• Use online tools to analyse your bills and recommend a contract
• Negotiate with suppliers – remember you’re in charge
• Use a price comparison website to find the best deal for you

Cutting the cost of your water bill

The average monthly water bill is close to £32 and although you can’t switch water supplier, there are lots of tricks you can use to save money on bills.

For example, you could:

• Have a free water meter installed
• Stop taking baths and switch to showers
• Switch to a more efficient shower head

Cheaper gas and electricity

There are lots of energy suppliers out there fighting for customers, so it’s a good time to find yourself a cheaper deal and have a look at our energy saving tips.

• Switch to monthly Direct Debit payments to cut your costs
• Turn down your thermostat by just 1°C - this could cut 10% off your heating bill
• Consider collective switching – is it worth it?

Are you paying too much Council Tax?

With up to 400,000 homes in the wrong Council Tax band, it’s worth making sure you’re not being overcharged.

It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes for you to find out and you could end up saving hundreds of pounds and getting a rebate.

Slash the cost of driving and public transport

Whether you drive, or use public transport, travel costs probably make up a significant amount of your monthly spend.

However, don’t despair there are plenty of ways to cut travel costs including:

• Finding cheaper car insurance
• Buying cheaper fuel
• Booking train tickets in advance

Pay your bills on time

Late payment fees can wipe out hard earned savings, so make sure you pay your bills on time.

You can use these tips to help stay on top of your bills:

• Pay for regular bills monthly by Direct Debit
• Keep a record of payments and plan ahead
• Talk to the people you owe money to if you’re struggling

Find out more

Want to find out more about setting up a budget and managing your money? Want to learn about paying off your loans and credit cards?

This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.