State pensioners handed £200 from October for five minute change | Personal Finance | Finance

State pensioners can get £200 back on their utility bill accounts for making one simple change following the October price cap energy price hike on Tuesday.

With the cost of gas and electricity going up by an average of £149 from October 1 and the Winter Fuel Payment being changed to means testing rendering millions ineligible for a £300 payment they would have previously had.

And with the £300 Cost of Living payment no longer being sent out this winter either, pensioners will be looking to everything they can to reduce their bills.

To make matters worse, water companies across the country have also put their bills up, meaning spiralling water costs are being added to the financial burden for millions of pensioners.

And now, bathroom specialists Assisted Living have revealed some minor changes to bathroom habits which can yield as much as £200 back into your energy account thanks to the savings you’ll make.

They said that swapping a bath for a shower, and cutting your shower time to just five minutes can help shed a highly significant £200 off your water bills each year.

Even turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save you £30.

Cheryl Ridson from accessible bathroom specialists Assisted Living said “Water bills are rising by at least £30 every year across the country.

“Cutting down payments can be easily achieved by switching the way that we use water around the house.

“Fitting your bathroom with water saving adjustments and taking a shower rather than a bath are just some changes you can make to use less water.”

“Getting a water meter fitted – you can apply online, by phone, or by post to see if you are eligible for a water meter to be fitted. If it is too difficult or expensive to fit into your home, you may be offered a price based on the estimate of what the bill would be with a meter fitted.

“Showering over taking a bath – If you are able to shower rather than have a bath, you may want to consider showering more often. A short shower can use as little as 1/3 less water than a typical bath does. If you can only take baths, you may still want to consider not filling the tub all the way as this could use 80 litres of water.

“Taking short showers – Although showers use less water than baths, this switch may not be as effective if the shower is particularly lengthy. Spending 5 minutes less in the shower could save you as much as £200.

“Making sure to turn off the tap – Remembering to check that all taps are turned off after using is essential to keeping bills low. This also includes turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving as leaving the water on for those few minutes could cost you £30.

“Reusing water for your garden – Rather than using a hose to keep your plants healthy, you may want to consider investing in a water butt to utilise rainwater or even repurposing your bath and shower water to fill your watering can. Using a watering can to water the garden can be beneficial for controlling how much water is used.”