Ofgem to launch campaign telling people how to save money on energy bills

Ofgem will launch a new campaign to help people understand how they can reduce their energy use and slash bills this winter.

Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem’s chief executive officer, told Energy UK’s conference that the energy regulator will soon be launching a campaign to teach customers how they could reduce their energy consumption.

He referenced energy saving measures such as “only have heating on when required, turning off lights when you leave the room, switch off devices or put on standby”.

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Households will not pay more than 34p per unit of electricity they use and 10.3p for gas under the government’s price cap which will last for two years.

But bills will still be twice what they were a year ago as Britons try to keep their homes warm. Figuring out how to use less energy while still staying comfortable will be important for millions of people this winter.

Brearley highlighted Nesta’s boiler challenge, which is encouraging customers to lower the flow temperature on their boilers.

"They claim that you can save roughly 9% on your gas bill if you do so and if many of us do this it could save £9bn for His Majesty's Treasury."

UK households should also reduce their gas and electricity use where possible this winter to reduce the risk of power cuts.

The National Grid warned last week that the UK could face power cuts if it is unable to import enough electricity and gas this winter.

“All of us should be thinking about how to reduce our energy use where possible,” Brearley said.

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“This is not only the most direct way of reducing our bills. It directly helps with security of supply, contributes to decarbonisation, and saves money for the public finances,” he said.

The UK government has stopped short of urging people to reduce energy use, unlike in Europe where countries have agreed to voluntarily reduce gas use by 15%.

Watch: Why are gas prices rising?