Cost of living - South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

As the cost of living rises, we know people are looking for more and more ways of saving money.

As a service we fully appreciate that times are hard for many across South Yorkshire, but it’s also our job to ensure people stay safe.

We’ve seen a number of worrying examples recently of house fires started, in local homes, by people using unsafe heating practices.

On this page we have outlined four things:

Things to do – here we provide tips on ways you can safely save money
Things not to do – here’s things we advise you don’t do in your quest to save cash
Using appliances overnight – our stance on whether you should or shouldn’t use white goods overnight
Help is on hand – here we provide links to the support available to anyone struggling with money

Saving safely – things to do

Here’s our tips for saving safely:

Beat the energy vampires by turning off phone chargers when they aren’t in use (they will drain energy even when not charging)
Heat individual rooms – rather than heating the whole house, can you turn individual radiators on and off as needed?
Close your doors – were you born in a barn? Closing doors can keep heat in and cold out
Use your heating timer to limit your heating to the colder parts of the day, rather than having it running all day long
Switch off at night – devices such as TVs and microwaves use energy even when they are on standby
Invest to save – having your boiler serviced can actually make it more efficient, despite the inital outlay
Use the right fuel – similarly, using the right fuel in your log burners can make them more efficient and save cash

Saving safely – things not to do

Here’s some things we strongly advise against:

Using barbeques, chimineas and gas rings inside – this can and will end in disaster
Buying super cheap electrical items – such as phone chargers and electric blankets – from dubious online retailers
Creating makeshift fires and heaters – using things like coal and tin buckets
Leaving washing machines and tumble dryers running when you are asleep

Using appliances overnight – our stance

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) welcomes help for people to cut their energy bills but it’s crucial that people, where possible, avoid running appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers when the household is asleep. If a fire should start the risk to life is greater as people have less time to react and escape.

We understand the peak demand times are between 9 -11 am and 4 – 7 pm. We encourage consumers to ensure they take advantage of any off-peak savings by using appliances while the household is awake to stay fire safe.

We also ask all householders to ensure they have working smoke alarms on each level of the home and ideally in rooms where a fire may start. Also make sure everyone in the home knows what to do in the event of a fire.

Help is on hand

Local support

Cost of living | Sheffield City Council

Cost of Living – Doncaster Council

Help with the rising cost of living (barnsley.gov.uk)

Money matters – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council