It’s early March 2022 and the country is facing its biggest energy crisis since the 1970s. There are several factors causing this. The main reason is we rely so heavily on gas and the wholesale price of this has gone through the roof since the beginning of the year.

From April, the average household fuel bill will rise by an average of 54%. That’s the average, so some will be hit more, while others will see lower increases.

Turn Out the Lights

It’s the most basic thing but one of the easiest to forget. When you’re not in a room, turn the light off. Even if you’re in a room, consider whether you need a light on at all. As the spring arrives, the evenings will get lighter. This is the perfect time to become more mindful of how many lights you keep on during times when they could be off.

Jumper First

Again, this may sound like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, but we’ve become so used to turning the heating up that we don’t put on warmer clothing first. The changeable weather of this time of year means we can be tempted to keep the central heating or night storage heaters higher than they need to be just in case. Err on the side of caution and turn them down.

Heating Down, Then Off

Like the last point, March is the month when (in most cases) the temperature starts to rise, especially the farther south you are. At the end of the month, and depending on where you are in the country, the heating needs to be considerably lower and come on later than it did in December. Ideally, as you head into and through April, it needs to be off. Consider switching it off over the Easter break to save money too unless anyone is staying behind.

Good Cooking Habits

There are things you can do as a group of students when using the kitchen. Cooking separately can use a lot of energy, especially if you’re using the over one after the other. With a large enough oven, you can cook several things at once. Batch cooking, assuming you all like the same things and have no dietary requirements between you, is the easiest way to do this.

One overlooked area is the hob. Put it on a lower setting – things will simmer and boil just as easily on a lower setting as a higher one. Also, ensure you match the pan to the hob ring you’re using.

This is a difficult time and while your bills go up, there are always steps you can take to minimise the cost.