'I keep the lights off and I wash my clothes by hand. What more can I do?'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Like so many across Greater Manchester, Chijindum Ralph-Nwachukwu is worried about rising bills. Known as Ralph, he first became concerned around two years ago when he noticed he was spending a lot more on energy.

The 25-year-old civil engineer, who lives in a flat in Urmston, realised the consistent increase was starting to eat into his monthly budget.

Ralph attempted to adapt his living style to try and combat the rising costs – changes he has “really struggled” making. “I turn off my lights when I’m not using them, regulate how much time I spend using things like the electric dishwasher and I hand wash my clothes and dishes more often that I used to,” he said.

To help him stay on top of what he’s using, Ralph also decided to invest in a smart meter to help keep track of how much energy he uses on a day-to-day basis.