Cutting Electricity Prices

Electricity prices are continuing to rise, so what steps can you take to reduce your bills?

Perhaps the most obvious is the one my father would often grumble if I switched on the heating: "Put a jumper on!" he'd bellow.

His wisdom also extended to "Switch off lights when you leave the room," but there are also a number of less obvious steps you can take to reduce your bills.

See the light and swap your old-fashioned light bulbs for more energy efficient ones. Also avoid up-lighters - they use high-wattage bulbs that devour a lot of power.

In the living room, check all the entertainment equipment which reverts to 'stand-by' mode when not in use, for example:

• Televisions.
• Hi-fi systems.
• Games consoles.
• DVD players.
• Laptop and desktop computers.

By switching these items completely off, rather than leaving them in sleep or hibernation mode, you can make significant savings - handy as electricity prices continue to rise.

Likewise, unplug the chargers for rechargeable items such as mobile phones, digital cameras, laptop computers and mp3 players when not in use.

Finally, when making that vital morning brew, only boil the amount of water that you actually require and ensure that the kettle is free of limescale.

So, overall there are a number of way to reduce your bills despite the rising costs of electricity - some easy, some a bit more hassle, but all well worth it when you get that bill through the door.