Keeping tabs on household energy prices can be a seemingly impossible task, especially when price rises are normally out of our hands. Sometimes, it can even seem like comparing or switching energy won’t make a difference as most of the big providers in the UK tend to all raise the prices right at the same time. However, comparing gas and electricity prices can still be a very useful way of making sure you stay paying the absolute minimum for your energy needs. But what if you’re stuck on a lengthy contract and don’t have the option of swapping over to a new provider just yet? What can you do to make sure that you keep your energy prices as low as possible?

Making simple changes at home might seem like they won’t make any difference, but over time they can end up saving a lot of money. Over the course of a year, making small changes to the way you use your energy and appliances can actually save you more money than the increase in costs that are normally pilled on by energy suppliers every year. Small changes can make a big difference. For example, having showers rather than baths can make a pretty big difference to your energy costs because you don’t need to heat as much water at once.

Another great small change to reduce your gas and electricity prices is turning your thermostat down by just as single degree. Doing so could reduce the amount of energy you use by as much as 6 per cent which of course means you could shave a decent amount of money off your energy prices as well. The good thing about turning it down by just a small amount is that you’re unlikely to actually notice a difference which means you can enjoy all the savings without having to worry about making a major lifestyle change. You can also change when your heating comes on. Setting it to come on just 20 minutes before you wake up in the morning rather than 30 minutes before is another way to make a big change every day without even noticing the difference.

Another important part of keeping your electricity prices low is making sure your boiler is well maintained. Any boiler that’s more than 15 years old is going to be costing a huge amount of cash every year in wasted energy. It might seem like a lot of money to have to replace an old boiler but in terms of both energy efficiency and insurance/repair costs you will always save money in the long term by upgrading an old boiler. You can also save up to £20 a year by lagging your boiler and pipes on your fuel bills. Of course, you have to pay out for that as well, but overall spending £20 on lagging your boiler now to save £20 a year in the future makes sense. The same applies for more extensive work like loft insulation, which can save you up to quarter of your annual heating bills.