A SUPER saver dad saved £10,000 on his bills by using three handy hacks.
Al Baker, 48, from Aldershot, Hampshire, has shared his tips for cutting down energy bills as a parent.
He's tried everything from reusing toilet roll to drying tea bags on his washing line for a second cuppa.
Al, who is dad to daughter Heather, 20, and son George, five, says having children inevitably leads to higher bills – but has some thrifty tricks to cutting back.
Al, who runs money-saving blog The Penny Pincher, said: “As a parent you have to battle with an inability for a child to grasp the concept that a light switch also turns off a light, as well as just turning one on.
“I've always tried to teach my kids about the cost of energy and how by making little changes such as turning off a light when you leave a room, and if you are no longer watching TV it can be turned off so as not to waste the power.”
READ MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS
Full list of energy saving tips which could slash your bills by up to £1,666
I’m a budgeting mum and my easy 5p hack will help you save £3.3k this year
Al has a few top tips for how, as a parent, you can limit how much you’re shelling out on energy bills every month.
TEACH KIDS THE VALUE OF MONEY
Al recommends using real life examples to help teach children the value of money in a bid to get them to help cut down on costs.
The said: “I showed my son the other day how much heat was produced by our TV and how much power that must use to generate that much heat, and just got a shrugging of the shoulders.
“So I tried showing him by removing a £10 note from his money box and saying that ‘if you left the TV on all day without watching it, would you be happy for me to keep the £10?’
Most read in Fabulous
People shocked as they unveil hidden use of packaging in a chocolate orange
Shoppers are rushing to buy Aldi’s £4.99 Ugg dupe hailed ‘best Specialbuy ever’
Prince Harry says ‘I would like to get my father back’ in tell-all interview
I’m a doctor and here’s four things that will instantly cure your hangover
“He said no, and so I said ‘well, by not turning off the TV you might be costing me a £10 note every day, so do you think I would be happy if the TV wasn’t being watched?’ I think he finally grasped it.
“Kids don’t really understand what goes into earning that £10 as it doesn’t affect them personally so for them it’s quite hard to comprehend.
“My daughter moved into her first flat this year and now has to be responsible for her own electricity bill, and I really hope the constant nagging from me over the years has drummed into her about being careful about not wasting energy.
“It's all about trying to explain it to them without just coming across as a misery or a spoilsport."
USE TIMERS FOR ELECTRICALS
As a bill payer, Al says he has to be strict with everyone, including his son and partner about energy use, particularly in the last few months.
He said: “The nagging about lights being turned off is constant.”
Al recommends using a timer switch to ensure lights and appliances don’t stay on for too long.
He said: “I use the app Equiwatt in conjunction with my smart plugs and this app will turn off appliances 12 to 13 times a month for an hour to save energy and save Co2.
“This helps the bills, plus they give you points for doing this which can be exchanged for a gift card, which is an added bonus.
“I also use the smart plugs to turn off devices overnight that don’t need to be on – for example in one room I've set it so that the power turns off at 10pm and goes back on at 7am on the computer monitor, desk light and laptop charger which would otherwise be powered all night, and that’s a saving.”
MAKE SAVING FUN
To avoid relying on the heating in the winter months, Al also recommends a fun method of heating up for kids – investing in a hot teddy over the more traditional hot water bottle.
Read More on The Sun
EastEnders fans ‘work out’ father of 12-year-old Lily Slater’s baby
We’re the ‘cheapest’ bar selling meals for £1 – here’s why we’re doing it
The teddy bears can be heated up in the microwave, providing a more energy efficient way to warm up without needing to shell out for costly heating.
He also recommends limiting water usage at bath time by using bath buoys and dams to limit the amount used in the tub, using a child-friendly shower timer, or having your child pick a few favourite songs and aim to finish washing before the playlist ends.
Source: Read Full Article