Solid Fuel Alternatives to Rising Fuel Prices

Filed Under  Consumer News, Money Saving Tips, Personal Finance, UK Debt News  |  Leave a Comment

Rising energy prices have become a bit of a theme on Payplan Debt News, but it’s not surprising.

british-gas-price-increasesAverage energy bills for gas and electricity are estimated to rise to £1200 per year for UK households, following EDF and British Gas’ announcements within the last week. But worse is to come - utility prices are set to rise again in the New Year – a whopping 60% increase has been forecast in less than 6 months.

So what can we do about it?

The first thing to do is to save money on fuel by reducing our energy usage, and then use energy more efficiently. However, there is always a point at which everything that can be done has been done.

Prepare for winter now and save money on fuel

Another possibility is to look for alternative fuels, especially when heating our homes this winter. For those with open fires, solid fuel alternatives are a real possibility – and one which need not necessarily damage the environment. Whilst there are a few months to go before the cold taste of Winter is back amongst us, its worth looking into solid fuel alternatives now, making sure that chimneys are swept, grates are prepared and fuel is purchased and stored.

Smokeless solid fuel alternatives

If you live in a Smoke Control Area, then the types of solid fuels that can be burnt are restricted to authorised smokeless fuels, such as coke or Ecologs. These are heat efficient and are not disproportionately expensive when compared to today’s gas and electricity prices. These sorts of solid fuel alternatives may be the perfect answer to supplement a central heating system, allowing the average household, using only one room in the evening, to cut the temperature settings on the thermostat, and stoke the open fire.

For those able to use other solid fuels, wood is a highly efficient and carbon-neutral option too. Wood, when burnt correctly, releases no more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it absorbs when it’s growing, making it a perfect alternative for these environmentally conscious times.

Make your own solid fuel alternatives

It is also now possible to make your own solid fuel alternative. Using a ‘Briquette Maker’, you can recycle all your old newspapers, form them into solid fuel briquettes and store them ready for burning on your open fire in the winter.

Budgeting advice from Payplan

Payplan are conscious that household energy prices, food prices and petrol prices are increasing, and that with the level of unsecured debt in the UK, more people are struggling to pay their debts. Payplan’s free budgeting advice can help you prioritise your finances - call 0800 917 7823 or submit your details for online debt help

1 In 7 Use Savings For Help With Increased Living Costs

Filed Under  Consumer News, Financial News, Money Saving Tips, Personal Finance, UK Debt News  |  Leave a Comment

A recent BBC report states that one in seven people have cashed in savings to pay for their utility or council tax bills due to the effect that recent rises in the cost of food and petrol are having on their income. Some families have even begun to reduce the pocket money given to their children in order to help with increased living costs.

Recession and personal finances

Less \'Money In Pockets\'

Although it’s true that not everybody has savings to help with increased living costs, for those that do, using savings to pay for household bills suggests that many people are struggling to survive on their regular incomes - and of course, savings don’t last forever.

The obvious supposition one can make about peoples’ personal finances from these kinds of statistics is that there is less ‘money in pockets’ to spend on non-essential or luxury items and talk of an impending recession, which is regularly making TV and newspaper headlines, will do little to allay the fears of those who are already struggling with household bills, rising debts and food prices. Further economic slow-down and a possible recession will mean fewer jobs, lower incomes and reduced spending power - an economic vicious circle.

50 ways to get help with increased living costs

However, there are some things one can do to help with increased living costs and prepare for a possible UK recession. A recent article from the Times Online has listed 50 ways to beat a recession, if this should happen. Suggestions include tips for getting cheaper rent, tips for cheaper energy bills and tips for finding cheaper shops for clothes, food and essential household goods.

Payplan gives free budgeting advice

If you need further help with increased living costs, it may be because you need budgeting advice, or that you are struggling with a worsening debt problem. Payplan can help you for free with one phone-call on freephone 0800 917 7823 or submit a quick debt enquiry online.

Find Lift-Sharing Near You From Liftshare.org

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Cut your fuel bill in half by lift-sharing

If you drive a car to work, then you’ll probably have read Payplan’s recent article about saving money on fuel costs. It now appears that the increased rise in the cost of fuel is something that’s here to stay - a major issue for many commuters and businesses across the UK who are no doubt looking for alternative methods of travelling to beat this cost.

Liftshare.org: Find Lift-Sharing Near You Online

Innovative lift-sharing near you

One real alternative that can help you get to work more cheaply is through a good old fashioned lift-share and there are several websites that can help you find lift-sharing near you for free. One of these is Liftshare.org, part of the Liftshare Network, which has recently been recognised at The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2008 for outstanding achievements in Innovation.

Register online for lift-sharing

Liftshare.org is free to register, simple to use, and allows you to specify various options to make sure you find lift-sharing near your area.

During the registration process you state your beginning and end destinations by postcode or town, your journey’s ideal start and return times and build in a degree of flexibility each way, together with any additional information that will assist others when deciding to lift-share with you (such as whether you don’t mind smokers).

Find lift-sharing near you safely and securely

Once you’ve registered your journey, Liftshare.org will automatically find lift-sharing near you and list the basic details of each suitable match with your requirements as well as show a visual map representation of your journey on-screen. All you have to do is select the lift-share near you that you think is most suitable and ‘Send a Request to Share’. This will inform the relevant person that you make a similar journey, and that you would like to save money on fuel by lift-sharing too. Importantly, your full details are never displayed to other people searching for a lift-share - in fact, security and safety is a big concern for all travellers and liftshare.org has recognised this by offering lift-sharing safety tips on its website.

Lift-sharing for businesses

The Liftshare Network was founded as a social enterprise in 1997, and as well as providing an invaluable service for people who want to find lift-sharing options locally, Liftshare.org also offers information about further services and support for businesses wishing to implement a lift-sharing scheme for their employees. The Liftshare Network also encourages cycling, walking and efficient taxi and public transport use through a variety of schemes.

Free budgeting and debt advice

If you find that you’re debts are drinking your fuel budget or you’re finding it increasingly difficult to get to work because of the rising cost of petrol, then call Payplan free on 0800 917 7823 for free debt and budgeting advice. You can also submit your details to Payplan using their online Debt Calculator.

Ways To Save Money On Fuel Costs

Filed Under  Consumer News, Financial News, Money Saving Tips, Personal Finance, UK Debt News  |  1 Comment

Fuel Prices Rise Again

With oil prices soaring above $130 a barrel and the price of petrol rising at an increasingly astronomical rate, it may seem like there is little respite for motorists with the government’s proposed fuel duty increase of 2p per litre still on the cards - many motorists are struggling to put fuel in their vehicles already, as well as pay their priority bills and unsecured debts - however, there are several ways to save money on fuel costs.

Get the Cheapest Fuel at the Pump

The first of the many ways to save money on fuel costs is the most obvious, and that is to ensure that you’re buying the cheapest fuel (petrol or diesel) from the filling-station in the first place - visit www.petrolprices.com to find the cheapest petrol where you live.

Driving Savings on Fuel

Secondly, your driving technique and general attitude to driving can have a significant bearing on the cost of your monthly fuel bill. Here are 10 ways to save money on fuel costs (the Energy Saving Trust suggest as much as £120 per year can be saved on the cost of fuel), helping you beat the fuel price increases whilst at the same time doing your bit to save the environment:

10 Ways to Save Money on Fuel Costs

1. Watch the Revs

Keep a watchful eye on your rev counter - change up a gear before you reach 2,500rpm for petrol powered cars and before 2,000rpm for diesel powered vehicles.

2. Quick, Slow, Quick Quick, Slow

Avoiding sudden bursts of acceleration and irratic heavy braking is not only one of the ways to save money on fuel costs, but it also reduces the likelihood of having a serious road traffic accident. The rule is to always look ahead and anticipate the road conditions, allowing you to drive smoothly, accelerate gradually and use the engine to slow down where appropriate.

3. How Cool Are You?

Especially during the summer months, it’s tempting to stay cool in your car by reaching for a switch and turning on the air conditioning. However, air conditioning uses a significant amount of fuel. Ask yourself, do I really need to turn the air conditioning unit on? Surely it’s more ‘cool’ to save money on fuel?

4. Go Slow!

Driving at the most efficient speeds can make an enormous difference to the amount of fuel that your vehicle will consume and it’s one of the easiest ways to save money on fuel costs. Depending on the make and model of car that you own, speeds between 45 - 55 mph are generally considered to be the most efficient for your vehicle’s fuel consumption. Of course, this shouldn’t mean that you drive more slowly when it’s not appropriate or safe (eg on motorways). Driving at speeds faster than 55 mph will increase you cars fuel consumption significantly.

5. Get Your Coat

Never turn the engine on and leave the car running to warm the car’s interior whilst you go back indoors to enjoy a cup of tea. Leaving your car to ‘idle’ in this way not only wastes valuable fuel, but also causes rapid wear and tear to your vehicle’s engine. Wear more clothes - drink less tea!

6. Rocket Science

Assuming that you understand the basic physics behind the design and shape of a space rocket, then you’ll understand that causing unnecessary drag on a moving object will require a greater force for it to move in a particular direction, and consequently, more fuel - this is the reason why we don’t see space rockets fitted with bike-racks, roof-racks or roof-boxes. Therefore, if you’re not using such accessories, remove them from your vehicle to reduce weight and drag, increase fuel efficiency and save you money.

7. Get Some Exercise!

When your car’s engine is cold, it burns up to twice the amount of fuel as a warm engine does. Consequently, if you take the easy option for short journeys by jumping straight into your car, rather than walking, cycling or using public transport, you will not only damage your bank account further by using unnecessary fuel, but you will miss a simple opportunity to contribute to reducing your carbon footprint on the environment, as well as getting a little exercise!

8. Use the Local Media

Always plan your journeys before setting off. Check your local newspapers, local radio stations or use the Internet to find out about any serious congestion, road works or road traffic accidents. At the risk of stating the obvious, carrying a map with you in your car at all times will prevent you from the extra miles that are covered in the unlikely event that you should get lost - and, if you’re lucky enough to have one, don’t rely completely on your satellite navigation system to get you to where you want to be via the most appropriate route either.

9. Inflation

Reduced tyre pressure can cause your fuel consumption to increase by as much as an estimated 5%. Again, this is one of the simplest ways to save money on fuel costs - check your tyres weekly and keep them inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications.

10. Still Not Moving?

At traffic jams, road-works and any occasion when you and your vehicle are stationary for longer than 2-3 minutes, save fuel by simply turning the engine off at the ignition.

Free Budgeting and Debt Advice

If you’re struggling with the recent petrol price increases and you’re unable to pay your monthly bills as a result, Payplan can offer free debt advice by phone on 0800 917 7823 or online using their quick contact form for immediate money advice

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