State pensioners handed free £505 each if they agree to spend 99p

State pensioners handed free £505 each if they agree to spend 99p
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


State pensioners can get £505 if they spend 99p after the Winter Fuel Payment was axe. Fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help reduce the rate of heat loss in any room, they have been told, after the Department for Work and Pensions elgibility change.

Foil can be bought at Sainsbury's for 99p - saving pensioners cash on their energy bills after losing the £300 DWP payout. Discussing the rising energy bills for many, Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: "Huge energy bill hikes are a cause of real concern for millions of households across the country, especially when many are already feeling the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.

"Which? has found that everyone can make small changes to reduce their energy consumption - and most importantly save money. Small steps taken together can add up to huge savings." To save money, consider lowering your thermostat dial by just one degree could reduce bills by around £80-85 per year.

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Adjusting central heating timers to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption, experts say. For rooms such as bedrooms that stand empty throughout the day, people should consider turning the radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely.

Lowering the temperature of your washing machine is an eco-friendly way to save money. Even a 20°C wash can do the trick in some cases, particularly when using liquid detergent rather than powder. For drying clothes, aim to dry clothes on a rack instead of in a tumble dryer - for those who do opt to use a dryer, clean its filter first to improve energy efficiency. And Which? found that installing loft insulation, if you do not have it already, could save you up to £215 per year in energy bills depending on your home.

Buy a draught-excluding cushion and put it in front of your door to maximise savings tackle draughty windows, doors, chimneys, floorboards, skirting boards and loft hatches - this can be done using draught excluder strips or expanding foam fillers. The saving could be £25 a year.

When changing lightbulbs, swapping old-style bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs saves around £7 per year in running costs. Turn appliances off at the power if they're on standby. For a typical home, this could save £55 a year. The savings altogether work out at £505.