Shedding some light on energy for new students

Around half a million students will be heading off to university this year. For many this will mean living away from home for the first time and facing the reality of paying household bills while on a very tight budget. With the average annual household energy bill currently standing at a whopping £913 and calls for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions, independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, has pulled together some simple tips to help students get to grips with energy, potentially saving money and maybe even the planet along the way.

Ann Robinson, Consumer Policy Director at uSwitch.com, says: “This is all about students getting off on the right foot, not just to save themselves money but to help save the planet too. Getting to grips with energy could help students reduce their consumption, cut carbon emissions and enjoy lower bills as well. They could save over £200 just by making sure that they are on the right energy deal. More importantly, lessons learnt now about energy and the environment will hopefully shape future behaviour too.”

Energy efficiency

Over a quarter (27%) of the UK’s carbon emissions come from homes, so, whether staying in Halls of Residence or renting a pad with others, students can still do their bit for the environment by following these energy efficiency tips:

Invest in energy efficient light bulbs – they cost more than ordinary light bulbs, but the ones you buy as a fresher will see you right the way through to graduation!

Steer clear of power hungry gadgets such as electric heaters. Make sure that TVs, computers and CD players are not left on standby and switch off mobile phone chargers once your phone is charged - these are classic energy wasters.

When going home for breaks make sure that all electric equipment is turned off – if possible go one step further and switch your power off at the mains.

Check out the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk) for more tips on how to help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.

Renting

Check with your landlord whether energy bills are included in your rent, a prepayment meter is installed in the property or you are expected to pay the bills yourself.

If the energy bills are down to you, ask who the current supplier is and when the landlord last compared prices – would your landlord object to you switching to a cheaper supplier?

Take a meter reading when you move in. Give this to the supplier and let them know that you are a new tenant – you don’t want to pay the previous tenant’s bill.

A quick lesson in how to make sure you are paying the lowest possible price for your energy: move to dual fuel (this means getting both gas and electricity from the same supplier), pay by direct debit and sign up to an online plan – this could save you over £200.

Paying by direct debit will not only reduce your bills, but will also help you avoid late payment charges incurred by forgetting to pay a bill.

Check out the reward schemes on offer from major energy suppliers – these include Tesco clubcard points, Nectar points and Argos vouchers – all very handy if on a tight student budget.

Prepayment meters are more expensive – costing around £128 more than paying by direct debit - but if there’s already one fitted in your rented home you may not have much choice. Make sure you always keep it topped up, find out the opening times of local shops where you can buy ‘top-ups’ and keep some candles handy, just in case you ever do run out!