The cost of living crisis is biting hard, but it was well before the current energy price hikes I discovered how to cut an energy bill by more than half. Energy bills can shoot up even during the summer months when radiators are switched off. But here’s one excellent way to save money on home energy.

It’s not a plan that suits all – and it will hurt for a bit – but it could be worth it, particularly if you flat runs on electricity as opposed to gas.

EDF’s brilliant telephone assistants are swift to remind us that wall plugs consume energy even if no appliance is plugged in. But that’s a drop in the ocean.

Instead, check the temperature of your running tap water….is it boiling hot?

If so, there’s an opportunity to save on home energy

Our immersion tend to be left on night and day, 24/7, keeping tap water at a steady temperature. Even when we’re not using it, which is most of the time. And sometimes the water is so hot we have to mix it with cold just to wash our hands. There’s the trick – how to save money on home energy.

By turning down the temperature to a minimum it is possible to cut the energy bill by over 60 percent. And by turning the immersion heater off completely, the bill can be sliced by nearly 75 percent.

It takes time to get used to cold running water

But that can hurt in other ways. You’ll be washing your hands in cold water if the immersion heater is off. That is unless you turn it on temporarily and remember to turn it off again after use.

It takes time to get used to washing your hands in cold water, but soon you’ll realise there’s no need for hot water. What cleans your hands is the soap, not the temperature of the water.

Young and fit people can save a small fortune

However, it’s not a solution that suits everybody. The frail and elderly need the heat. But young and healthy people can make huge savings by getting used to washing their hands in cold water – and washing the dishes in cold water too.

Soon we’ll discover what a luxury it really is to have constant hot running water. And then we can decide if we can live without it for a while and that way spend the money on other things than energy which is completely wasted.

Read more on how to save money on energy with your immersion heater here.