Prepare for British Summer Time with our top tips!

Finally... the clocks are moving forward by an hour on Sunday 31st March! Unfortunately this does mean we will lose an hour in bed... but does give you the opportunity to try and save money on your utility bills as the weather gets warmer.

Be sure to adjust thermostats and timers to suit your needs and consumption usage. With the time change and warmer weather coming, you will get more opportunities to save energy. For example, the nights are getting shorter, and the days are getting longer meaning you may not need your lights on as much as you do in the winter months. When the weather gets warmer and the sun is out over the summer, you can use it to light up your home and dry your laundry.

As you start to use less consumption over the following months you may be tempted to change your Direct Debit, if you have one set up. Our mySycous experts advise against changing your Direct Debit over the summer months as you can instead use that time to build up and maintain your balance, preparing your account for next winter. This will help you to financially balance your bills in the long term. To learn about setting up a direct debit, please visit 'Can I set up a Direct Debit?'.

You can continue to check your consumption over the warmer months on our mySycous App to monitor any changes and plan your spending. This can be beneficial in the long term to help you prepare for winter with financial planning. To download the app, you can click here to go to the Apple Store or click here to go to the Google Play Store.

We also recommend getting your Heat Interface Unit (HIU) checked so that you know your unit is operating safely and efficiently after frequent use over winter. This is especially useful to do over the summer months to avoid any potential issues before next winter. If you require a service or repair to your HIU and this is not covered by your utility supplier then our partners at HIU Service, are able to do this for you, check out their website at hiuservice.co.uk.

As always, if you are struggling to pay your bills over the coming months the solution isn't to be cold or switch off essential utility supplies. Please visit our 'Struggling to pay' Help & Support section to learn more about our payment plan options.