State pensioners are going to be at least £500 worse off this winter thanks to the £300 Winter Fuel Payments cut and the loss of a £300 Cost of Living payment while energy bills are rising again after a fall – but there are some Martin Lewis tips that may help.
Last time the cost of living crisis took hold, Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis put out a bumper set of ‘survival’ tips to help people struggling.
And with many pensioners facing a tougher winter with £500 less thanks to rising energy bills, reduced benefits and means tested Winter Fuel Allowance, many will be looking at their finances to work out how to make them last through the tough colder months ahead.
As part of the consumer guru’s 90 point survival bible, Martin shared some of the myriad ways his loyal fanbase have managed to eke every scrap out of their budgets.
He had said: “For some there is sadly no route to cut expenditure below income; that fix will need political intervention. For others, we need a collective endeavour, to work together to take financial pressures off where we can. And that is partly behind this guide.”
One of tips shared by Martin Lewis’ followers centres around washing machines. The appliances are quite power hungry, but drying the clothes afterwards can take a lot more energy if you have to use a tumble dryer (VERY expensive to run), put the radiators on (still pretty expensive) or use a heated airer (cheaper, but not free).
But one savvy saver’s advice was to time the washing with the weather – as well as watch your machine’s cycle settings.
@BrylewskaF said: “Watch the weather report. Sun due out, washing goes in the day before.”
Another follower then asked her which cycle on a washing machine is the right one to use to save a bit more energy.
She replied: “Rapid works fine and I think is cheaper. Pre-soak big stains in cold water before washing.”
@Traceylou11247 said: “I’ve used the quick wash for years. Never had a problem. As I live alone I invested in a combi microwave oven so I don’t need the big one. Use lids on pans and turn gas/electricity down. Close doors and make door sausages for every room.”
The other top tip centres around hot drinks like tea or coffee made with a kettle. One follower told Martin’s fans that boiling water once, then storing it in a flask, instead of re-boiling every time you want a drink, is one way to cut down electricity use.
She also advised people to ‘forage’ wild foods including nettles for soup.
@HeatherHornett said: “Boil water for hot drinks once a day and save the rest in a flask to save electricity. Forage food (made nettle tagliatelle, nettle and potato soup, dandelion flower jam etc during hard times).”
This week, Martin Lewis urged state pensioners to call up and check if they can claim Pension Credit, a benefit which entitles you to the £300 Winter Fuel Payment under the new rules and also tops up your state pension income up to a maximum of roughly £11,300 a year.