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How you can swap appliances to save money this winter

Person turning down thermostat
Turning down the central heating with a wireless thermostat

Despite being a milder October in the UK, winter is definitely coming. And for people who’ve delayed putting their heating on while the weather stays tolerable, the stress of the cold snap during the cost of living crisis could be weighing heavily.

With the government’s Energy Price Guarantee now only running until April 2023 instead of the initial two years when first announced, the energy experts at Forbes Advisor, the comparison and financial guidance platform, have analysed the running costs of common household appliances to see if households can make easy swaps and savings.

The Energy Price Guarantee aims to reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household will save around £700 this Winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap.

Forbes Advisor, using data from multiple sources including gov.uk, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and the Energy Saving Trust, have calculated the kind of savings Brits can make on the likes of heating and cooking.

Let’s look at some appliances you can swap to save this winter…

Price-saving swaps for gas central heating

First up, and one many households will be worried about the most, is gas central heating.

They first estimated the approximate cost per week in 2022 compared to 2021.

Gas central heating for a week in 2022, based on the cap price, is £23.10, drastically higher than the average rate of £8.09 per week in 2021.

Person adjusting a radiator
Central heating might not be your best option this winter (Picture: Getty)

Therefore, swapping gas central heating for a plug-in heater is a swap you can make.

A plug-in heater costs £1.19 to run in 2022, up from £0.67 in 2021 but still much cheaper than gas central heating.

By swapping central heating for a plug-in heater, you’re looking at average savings of £21.91 per week, or £1,139.32 a year.

Swap out the oven

Another cost saving can come from cooking with a microwave or a slow cooker instead of an electric oven.

Forbes Advisor estimates an electric fan oven costs £2.14 to run per week in 2022, up from £1.20 year on year.

Swapping out the fan oven for a microwave can fetch you average savings of around £2.28 per week, or £118.56 a year.

Person microwaving leftovers
Microwaving where possible can be a cheaper alternative to cooking and reheating leftovers (Picture: Getty)

Similarly, swapping an electric oven for a slow cooker can net savings of £2.28 per week, or £118.56 a year.

2022 v 2021 appliance costs

While a small sample of swaps you can make, the full list of year-on-year costs can be found below.

Have a look through the list and see if any appliances you use more frequently can be swapped for a cheaper alternative.

The cost per week 2022 is based on the energy price guarantee rate, and the cost for 2021 is worked out as an annual average.

  • Gas central heating – £23.10 2022 v £8.90 2021
  • Fridge freezer – £17.14 2022 v £9.58 2021
  • Tumble dryer – £2.81 2022 v £1.57 2021
  • Electric oven (fan) – £2.64 2022 v £1.47 2021
  • TV – £2.26 2022 v £1.26 2021
  • Electric oven – £2.14 2022 v £1.20 2021
  • Electric hob – £1.63 2022 v £0.91 2021
  • Slow cooker – £1.55 2022 v £0.86 2021
  • Gas hob – £0.36 2022 v £0.13 2021
  • Plug-in electric heater – £1.19 2022 v £0.67 2021
  • Washing machine – £1.14 2022 v £0.64 2021
  • Full kettle – £1.02 2022 v £0.57 2021
  • Coffee maker – £0.45 2022 v £0.25 2021
  • Air fryer – £0.38 2022 v £0.21 2021
  • Microwave – £0.36 2022 v £0.20 2021
  • Hair dryer – £0.29 2022 v £0.16 2021
  • Electric blanket – £0.27 2022 v £0.15 2021

MORE : University tells hard-up students they can stay warm by sitting in the library

MORE : Devastating price rises of everyday foods including pasta, chips and bread

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