BILL BUSTER
I’ve cut down on booze and use an air fryer to save money, says Dominic Littlewood
CONSUMER champion Dominic Littlewood has revealed nine top tips for slashing your energy and food bills - and you can save thousands.
Dom has been winning back money and dishing out money saving tips to thousands of households for decades.
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He's hosted shows including Fake Britain and Dom Digs In, and has also taken part in MasterChef and Strictly Come Dancing.
As a cost of living crisis starts to bite, he’s revealed the go-to methods he uses to save thousands of pounds a year on bills.
Dom said he has started to tighten his belt since costs have spiralled this year.
Millions of customers’ energy bills will soar to just shy of £3,000 a year on average when the price cap goes up this winter, while food and fuel prices have also rocketed.
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“It’s fair to say that just about everybody who pays bills in this country has a concern about what’s happening,” he said.
As the face of not for profit Smart Energy GB’s Super Smart Energy Savers campaign, he’s been helping households track their energy usage and help slash bills.
He’s been helping families prepare against eye-watering bill hikes expected this winter by making quick easy changes around the home.
The savvy saver has also gone through his own budget to see where he can save money too.
From switching to a smart meter, ditching the tumbledryer and shopping at budget shops like Aldi and Lidl, Dom says he has saved up to £2,650 a year.
He’s saved “at least” £250 a year on his energy bills, and up to £2,400 a year off his food bill too.
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“All these little things cost just pennies per hour, but it all adds up,” he said.
The Sun picked the TV star’s brains on how he’s managed to save thousands - and how you can too.
Energy savings - £250 a year
Ever since the energy crisis started to ramp up this winter, Dom has made a number of changes that he reckons helps him save a combined total of “at least” £250.
Here are his nine tips:
Switch to smart meter
Dom switched to a smart meter in February this year because he “was not” happy sending in manual meter readings and feared they weren’t accurate.
If your meter readings aren’t accurate, it means it is more likely you won’t get billed for what you are actually using.
He’s now much happier after switching to a smart meter - and it helps him monitor his energy usage.
“I switched this year and I love mine - when I leave the house, I know everything is switched off because my smart meter says I’m using 3p an hour.
“I know if I look at it and it’s showing up as 27p an hour, I know the missus has left her hair curling tongs on, or I need to check the oven.
“It makes you a lot more aware.”
Don’t overfill the kettle
We all love a cuppa, but putting in more water than you need could be ramping up your energy costs.
Experts estimate that households could be wasting almost £90 a year on boiling water they don’t need.
Dom said he makes sure he only fills his kettle up with the water he needs now.
“We got into the habit, like most people do, of filling the kettle up or half full, but it actually only needs to be a quarter full,” he said.
“That’s just become second nature to us when we’re making our coffee.”
Use an air fryer
Using an air fryer isn’t just a healthier way of cooking - it can be more cost effective.
“We’re now using the air fryer instead of the big double oven, which costs less,” Dom said.
For example, cooking some family favourite dishes like chicken in the oven costs 12p, but that could cost half the price if using an air fryer instead.
You might want to consider turning the oven off for smaller dishes.
Turn off appliances properly
It’s easy to forget to turn off the telly at the plug properly but it could be increasing your energy costs unnecessarily.
Everyday items like computers and gaming consoles are known as “vampire” appliances as they use a lot of electricity even when they’re on standby.
“I turn things off properly when I’m going away when they’re not needed.
“The things we used to leave on standby are now turned off at the socket now.”
Turn off the tumbledryer
Bunging your wet washing in the tumbledryer is easy, but not the cheapest way of drying your clothes.
The average cost for electricity is 28p per kWh, adding up to £1.26 per tumble dryer cycle - although this will rise when the price cap is expected to hike in October.
If you use the dryer once a day, that's £459.90 over the year.”
“We don’t use our tumbledryer now - we hang our clothes on a clothes horse.”
Only heat rooms you need
Thinking about the heating might be the last thing on your mind while the heatwave continues.
But you’ll want to keep this trick from Dom’s in mind when it comes to winter.
“What we did start to do in the colder months was to only heat the rooms we needed, we just shut off the radiators at the valves in the spare rooms and in the hallway.
“That saved an awful lot of energy.”
This could save you a considerable amount, as experts estimate it costs £10.80 a day to keep the heating on all night.
Grocery bill savings - up to £2,400 a year
Inflation is driving prices up including groceries, as households face spending £500 more a year on food bills.
Dom is trying to beat the hikes by making a few changes to his shopping habits - and he’s managed to halve his bill from £200 to £100 a week.
He reckons he’s saved thousands.
Shop at discount supermarkets
Dom said he has been able to slash his food bill in HALF by shopping at cheaper shops.
“Like a lot of people now, I’m also going to some of the more established lower price supermarket like Aldi and Lidl,” he said.
“Quite often I find the lower price own-brand food is incredibly good value compared to what you would pay for at more expensive brands.”
Go for cheaper breakfasts
Experts say breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but Dom has made sure it’s not hitting his bank balance.
“I’ve cut down on expensive cereals and now eat porridge,” he said.
“That’s partly for health reasons - but it’s also value for money.”
Cutting out meat can help you save cash, as prices of lamb, sausages and more have soared by up to 10%.
While supermarket value ranges have soared by up to 50% in one year.
Ditch the booze
After a long day at work, it’s easy to reach for the bottle and pour a drink.
But with booze prices going up, it can be a pricey way to unwind - wine is set to soar by 20% this year.
“I’ve personally cut down on drinking and don’t do it as much.
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“It’s a good reason to save some money by not having wine and beers at home.
“We’ll have sparkling water and a dash of blackcurrant juice instead.”
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