Julie has just received her electricity bill which is double what it usually is. She is really

worried about it and asks her friend, Jill, for some advice…

Ann: Hi, Julie. You’ve been very quiet today – is something wrong?

Julie: Hi, Ann. Well, I received my electricity bill this morning and it’s sky high! I usually

pay about £200 per month but it’s double this month! I don’t think I’m going to be able to

afford it…

Ann: You must have used more electricity this month or something isn’t working properly…

Have you checked that all your appliances are working properly? Did you leave something on

for a long time?

Julie: Everything seems to be working fine and I can’t think of anything that has been

different this month. What should I do?

Ann: First, you need to call your electricity company to see if they can get to the bottom of it.

In the meantime, try to save as much electricity as possible. Make sure to turn off lights when

you’re leaving a room and unplug all of your devices at night.

Julie: OK, I’ll do that… Do you have any other tips for saving electricity?

Ann: Keep your windows and doors closed when the heating is on. Every time I come to

your house, the windows are always wide open!

Julie: You’re right… I like keeping the house well ventilated but I’m letting the heat out… Is

there anything else I can do?

Ann: Why don't you turn off your computer when you’re not using it?

Julie: Good idea… I have a habit of leaving it turned on because it takes so long to start up

again.

Ann: And the TV… it’s always on the background, and you never watch it!

Julie: You’re right - I need to be much more energy efficient… I take electricity for granted.

Ann: We all do sometimes. Although, if you do all those things I mentioned, you’ll be able

to cut the cost of your electricity bill next month and every month!

HOME AND SCHOOL LIFE