Bills are just another complicated component to add into the intricate web of adulthood. There’s no avoiding them. But managing them doesn’t have to be as stressful as your acquaintances may have you believe.

Here are some top tips for managing your energy bills:

Set yourself up on a direct debit

Yep – we’re jumping straight in with this one, and not just because we’re the Direct Debit experts. If you don’t want to have to think about manually transferring your bills every month, then Direct Debit is the way to go.

Your monthly Direct Debit bill will come out as an estimate of how much energy, on average, you use. Whilst this sounds like a scary concept, it’s actually designed to help you spread costs throughout the year more easily.

In the summer, you’ll build up credit because you use less, and then the surplus is used for the winter when you use much more. Don’t worry – any spare pennies will be refunded straight back into your account.

Get organised

The best way to do this is to dedicate a set time in the month for meter readings and bill checking. Focus on the following:

• Splitting the bills – who’s paying what? Keep a monthly record of exactly how much is being spent. There are free apps that can help you with this, such as splitwise.
• File all bill payments digitally or in a physical folder, so that you’ve got a permanent record you can refer back to if need be.
• Check for mistakes. You want to look out for any dramatic rises or falls in your payment history. If this is the case and you can’t think of a reason why (i.e. a holiday, or an additional house member) then get in touch with your energy provider.

Heat in, bailiffs out

Organising your bills is far less stressful when you cut down the amount you spend. Here are some easy ways to cut down your energy usage.

• Keep your curtains closed
• Only put the boiler on when heating is needed
• Dry your clothes outside whenever you can (we do appreciate that this is the UK we’re talking about)
• Move your furniture away from radiators to allow the heat to circulate better
• Put lids on saucepans – voila, cooking is quicker and you use less gas/electric
• Switch to energy saving bulbs and you could save around £35 a year

If you’re doing a good job of organising your bills as well as cutting down usage, and you’re still finding a big hole in your pocket every month, then the easiest thing to do is switch to a cheaper provider!

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DFC is a leading revenue management solutions provider using the latest technology and a belief in total transparency to collect Direct Debits for thousands of happy customers. You can leave us to manage your payments, while you concentrate on running – and growing – your business. Find out more here.