Easy ways to save energy and money to reduce electricity bills

Put the jump on those high electricity bills with this guide to killing the kilowatts 

Timers can be a bog standard, cheap, plug-through timer for a 2kW convection heater, or a state-of-the-art thermostatic/timer smart control system for lights, a central heating system, or a single appliance. File pictures

Before we tune up with my annual round-up of simple and unexpected electricity-saving tricks, I wanted to take a moment to look at the ultimate worry for many customers — disconnection from the supply. Some 256,000 residential electricity customers were in arrears in the three months up to June according to Ireland’s independent energy regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). That’s one in eight households in Ireland in spring/summer, a worrying trend that must provide intense anxiety for families approaching the darker months. Happily, we will all receive an energy credit totalling €450 over the course of the winter, regardless of the situation or supplier. This will knock your standing charge on the head.

If you are in trouble meeting the bill, or already behind in your payments, what are your rights, and supports, and what’s the best way to get back on track? The CRU has specific customer protection rights that you should be aware of while sorting out the issue with your supplier.