Electric Ireland and Airtricity, two of the leading electricity suppliers in the country, have both released statements declaring price hikes for residential customers.

Electric Ireland sets to increase prices by 1.7% starting January 1 2014. This, on top of the recently approved public service mandate (PSO) amounts to an extra €35 a year for an average family.

Airtricity said it is to hike electricity prices by 3.5% from November 1. This increase will add almost €40 a year to its customer bills.

As winter creeps ever closer consumers will have to be extra careful with their usage in order to overcome these hikes. To aid you in your quest we put together a list of ways to use less electricity and save money…

Idle machines rack up costs:

Configure your computer to “sleep” if left idle for more than ten minutes. Furthermore, turning your computer off at night will save on average 25% of its annual energy usage. Appliances on standby still use electricity, switching appliances off at the mains is a good habit to get into.

Maintain your appliances:

Preventing the build-up of frost in your freezer will increase its energy consumption. Heating water can account for half of your bill. Make sure your tank is properly insulated.

Be tactful:

A full load of washing is more energy efficient than two half loads so plan ahead of time.  When boiling the kettle make sure to boil only the amount required.

Use online billing:

Online billing is simple, less hassle, and most providers now offer this service. Bord Gais and Airtricity both offer discounts to online bill payers.

Lighting:

An obvious yet affect tip – low energy light bulbs. A low energy bulb uses over five times less energy than a standard bulb.

“There’s an app for that”:

Many companies now offer free applications that allow you to pinpoint the real energy guzzlers in your home.