How clocks going back will end up costing you hundreds on energy bills

We might be getting an hour extra in bed, but the clocks going back might just cost you in a totally different way.

No one is complaining about getting a little lie in tomorrow when the clocks go backwards, but it’s not all good news for Brits.

The seemingly meaningless time changing tradition might be adding hundreds of pounds onto our energy bills.

Now that’s something we’re not as inclined to get on board with…

Sarah Agnew on Unsplash

The whole idea behind moving the clocks is that we make more use of the daylight during the winter months.

However, Queen's University Belfast have suggested that we could be saving at least £1.20 on electricity bills a day if we didn’t change the clocks.

Professor Aoife Foley, explained exactly why this is.

Talking to the Sun, she said: “We [would] reduce commercial and residential electrical demand as people leave work earlier, and go home earlier, meaning less lighting and heating is needed."

The National Grid struggles during winter, as demand for electricity goes up between 5pm-7pm.

Tara Flynn, co-founder of Choosewisely.co.uk, said: “When the clocks go back it can indirectly contribute to higher energy consumption for several reasons.

"The shift in time can disrupt daily routines, leading to changes in when people wake up, go to work or school, and return home.

"These shifts can affect energy consumption patterns, potentially causing appliances and heating systems to operate during higher-rate, peak-demand periods, increasing overall energy costs.

Erik Mclean on Unsplash

"The darker evenings mean people tend to turn their lights on earlier and the colder temperatures often accompany the end of Daylight Saving and households turn up the thermostat to stay warm.

"This results in increased heating costs as heaters are on for longer periods to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.”

So how can we prevent it from happening?

Well, you’ll be glad to know that there are a couple of things you can do.

Turning your boiler's flow temperature down can be one of them, saving you £180 annually on energy bills.

Increasing the amount of insulation in your loft can also help, as well as changing to a smart metre.

Doing this could get you savings of up to £230 a year.

Little things such as draught excluders can also make all of the difference, if there’s a cold draught coming from underneath your doors.

Rust on your boiler could also be a red flag you’re paying more than you should be.

Topics: Cost of Living, Money, UK News

Mia Williams

Mia is a freelance writer for LADBible, and an award-winning trainee journalist at the UK’s No.1 journalism school, News Associates.

@mia_francessca