Utilita to hold energy saving workshops in Leith

Utilita Energy, one of the UK’s fastest growing energy firms, will hold a series of energy saving workshops at Citizens Advice Scotland’s Leith centre throughout November and December.

The events will give people top tips on how they can reduce energy use to shave money off their bills. The first session, which will be held on the 29 November, at CAB’s Dalmeny Street offices from 9am-1pm – will aim to go some way towards reducing the 649,000 Scottish households currently in fuel poverty.

The sessions will be held in association with Citizens Advice Scotland and the first event saw an appearance from Hibernian FC legend Mickey Weir. The former winger was on hand for public meet and greets before attendees’ appointments with Utilita experts, on hand to provide their top money-saving tips.

The events form part of Utilita’s nationwide events campaign with Energy Action Scotland, aiming to eradicate fuel poverty.

Utilita has partnered with Hibernian FC for three years as its Official Energy Partner, giving the Club’s loyal fanbase and local communities access to a number of club offers, events and advice.

Utilita CEO, Bill Bullen, said: “We’re delighted to launch our workshops in Edinburgh alongside Hibernian FC, which we hope will arm residents with energy saving tips in time for the cold weather, when people start to reach for their thermostats.

“We’re committed to helping our customers use less energy whilst bringing them the best deals we can. We were the first supplier in the UK to install smart meters and have saved our customers at least half a billion pounds since 2010.”

Utilita’s Emergency and Friendly Credit help customers, when their prepayment meters run out, to ensure their supply isn’t cut off.

Citizens Advice Edinburgh CEO, Benjamin Napier, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Utilita for our energy saving workshops. Utilita has been backing Scottish football for a number of years now and it’s great to have Hibs on board too so that supporters can benefit personally from advice and offers.”

Ahead of the events, Utilita Energy has given some top tips on how you can get smart with your bills whilst keeping warm:

1. Seal those gaps – When cleaning your windows look out for air gaps in the weather stripping. Unless your home is very new, you’ll lose some heat through draughts around windows, doors, and gaps around the floor. Buy DIY draught-proofing which could save the average home £25 – £50 a year on energy costs!
2. Switch to LEDs – Whilst dusting the lampshades be sure to replace any blown or old-fashioned halogen lightbulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs. According to Energy Saving Trust, making the big switch can save an average household up to £35 a year.
3. Revamp those radiators – Bleeding your radiators regularly can make a huge difference to your energy spend and ensures you’re getting the most out of your heating system. Find instructions here on how to bleed your radiators
4. Defrost and chill – We often forget our freezers are on 24-7, being one of the few household appliances that constantly consumes energy. Freezer energy use is doubled when ice is built up, so we’d recommend defrosting if build-up is over 5cm.

Here are a few extra tips to save on the running costs of your fridge:

• Set your fridge to 3 degrees and your freezer to -16 degrees – Every degree lower, uses 5% more energy!
• Keep your fridge/freezer out of direct sunlight as it will have to work harder to keep cool

1. Upgrade your appliances – Is your fridge on the verge of a breakdown? TV on its last legs? If you’re thinking of upgrading one or more of your appliances, investing in energy efficient models could save you as much as £62 a year according to ‘Which?’ – see the full guide here

Utilita is one of Britain’s fastest growing independent energy suppliers, having seen its customer base treble in nearly three years to more than 690,000. Utilita always strives to be cheaper than the Big Six, and through use of its prepayment meters, customers can control exactly what energy they use and how much they spend.

Earlier in the year, Utilita opened its first ever high street store in Gosport, Hants and has plans to open more across the country. The outlets aim to reinvigorate Britain’s struggling high street, whilst providing money and energy saving advice to customers. The face-to-face service allows customers who would normally struggle with online access or with language barriers receive support with their energy provision.

The event will be held at CAB Edinburgh, 23 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh EH6 8RA.