Utility bills. Make us despair, do they not, with them just going up and up and up … well, actually – we were switched to a water meter late last year, and have just had our direct debit reduced by £20 a month – saving us c.£200 a year! We’ve also taken a keen interest in our gas bill, but more on that later.

To help you also save money on your water bill, a company called Save Water Save Money, working with 14 Water Companies, has made free devices available – ranging from shower heads  to children’s teeth brushing timers – and has fulfilled thousands of orders by running an on-line campaign with Money Saving Expert. These can reduce individual household bills by more than £100 if customers have a water meter.

Save Water Save Money Managing Director, Tim Robertson, said: “This promotion has been a phenomenal success. It just goes to show that while there’s so much emphasis on high value energy saving measures, householders understand it’s the small devices that can make a big impact on their bills, without affecting their water use or experience, and regardless of whether they are on a water meter or not.”

For more information or to claim your free water saving products, please visit the Save Water Save Money website here. 

And so onto the gas: We, like many others, had our hot water and heating on a timer. A few hours in the morning, a few in the evening. But by taking a few minutes each day to monitor our usage, it turns out that only having the water on the timer for an hour morning and evening, while keeping the heating ON but the thermostat lower, the house stays warmer and less energy – 40% less on some days – is used.  We reckon it’ll save us potentially £500 a year on our gas bill! I just wanted to share that with you, because I’m guessing there are lots of you out there, like me, who thought that timers were the more efficient way of heating your home.

Viva la energy revolution!