Energy Saving

You only have to turn on the television or radio or pick up a newspaper to know that energy prices are continuing to rise across the UK. This is a problem for many people, but particularly for those on low incomes and with limited money available for expenditure on day-to-day essentials. As a student you are probably trying to survive on a student loan, grant, scholarship or bursary, and prices continually increasing outside your control won’t be helping.

Act now to save money on your utility bills.

Things you can do now

Check that you are on the best tariff available for you. There are a number of places you can do this. These include uswitch.com, moneysavingexpert.com, and also here via a specific NASMA promotional code. Other sites are also available.

Have a look at the Citizens Advice website for some short video clips about changing energy supplier. These video clips resulted from the Energy Best Deal scheme. In 2011 NASMA were involved in Energy Best Deal delivery, reaching students and staff across the UK.

Key Terms

There are some phrases that you will hear used in relation to energy saving and utility bills:

  • Dual Fuel - getting your gas & electricity from the same supplier. Many suppliers offer a discount if you select this option.
  • Fixed Rate - the price you pay will  not change for the duration of the deal. These can be good for budgeting, but some suppliers will charge a fee if you want to end the contract early.

Top Energy Saving Tips

 -        If you’ve never switched supplier you can still make some big savings across the coming year. There is nothing to stop students changing supplier. If you are concerned about this in relation to your tenancy agreement you should speak to your letting agent or landlord first. If you have no luck it might be worth taking advice from the advisers in your university/college/SU. The following tips might help:

  1. Check you're on the best tariff for you. See links above.

  2. Consider paying by Direct Debit. There are often savings to be had from setting up a Direct Debit to pay your bills monthly. If you have a house bank account this can be straightforward, if not make sure you all contribute and don't leave it to one person to pay.

  3. Switch to an online account. This will mean you receive statements and other communications via email. It can result in some considerable savings so definitely worth a look.

  4. Regularly review your tariff against others available. Every 6-9months it is worth repeating the comparison to check you are still on the best deal. Be careful to check your current contract as their could be a fee for leaving. Bear this in mind when calculating any potential saving from the switch.

  5. Read your meter. Don't just rely on the estimated information on your statements, actually check your meter and contact the supplier if there is a large difference between the two.

  6. Look at energy saving options. As well as saving money by ensuring you are on the best tariff, it is also possible to save money by taking advantage of other energy saving options. More details here (soon).