Practical guide to overcoming the fall slope

In a kind of practical guide, spokespersons for the consumer organizations OCU and CECU give Efe a set of recommendations that some consumers should consider in order to bring the two sides together. “It will be a bad fall for most families, especially the most vulnerable: they will find a general increase in almost all prices”.

Enrique García, spokesman for the OCU, says it’s an organization that can confirm, through different studies, that there is “an overall increase in prices across all prices” as this year progresses, whether for food, fuel, gas, electricity or back to school. , will cost more than the forecast for 2021 Average of 1,890 Euros per student, although it varies by type of education.

First of all, transportation and food costs will increase, but also books, school supplies and clothing and shoes.

it’s a landscape “very negative” for their family economies, because due to the rise in energy prices, they will face cost overruns, aggravated by the war with Ukraine and Russia, and transferred to other areas of household spending.

Given this price increase how to reduce bills This is the practical guide for doing this.

gas and electricity

– The first of these is to check whether there are conditions to benefit from. energy social bonus and, as a result, thermal bonding.

– The most direct way to save gas and electricity, if not met, cheap rate. According to the OCU, it is the regulated one, because there is a “big difference” with the free market, especially when it comes to gas, there is currently an upper limit on regulated ones, while the latter is affected by spectacular events. increases.

Recommendations on rates in the case of electricity, price development From the same.

– Invoice and contracted rate should be reviewed regularly, and attention should be paid to price revisions communicated by the company when it’s time to renew the contract, because according to the OCU these are often “made without transparency, on an individual basis, and without the consumer price reference being very clear and How much do they charge per kilowatt? Persistence agents are not recommended now.

– It is more than ever recommended to take energy efficiency measures: well insulating the house, using more efficient appliances and keeping the house temperature appropriately, because it will increase in the coming months. a single note can add 7-10% to your bill.

back to school

– Compulsory reuse school supplies and uniforms According to CECU spokesperson Cesar Díaz, replace books that are no longer used from previous years and buy second-hand books from this course.

– Learn about possible AIDS assistance from the municipality or the autonomous community for school supplies, canteens and scholarships, which may also be available for rent and energy efficiency.

Public transport

– public transport, especially when new aid has been implemented since September that could reduce the cost of additional fuel.

– However, you can also: share the car and choose the gas station wisely because they are not all the same price.

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– Costs a historic rise 94% of the 180+ products that make up the OCU shopping cart have grown like never before. It is therefore recommended that you plan purchases and only pay for what you need, as this will also avoid throwing away food, and if there is any leftovers, choose to reuse or freeze.

– Good option to search offersbut be careful with large purchases, especially fresh produce that has a short expiration date and may end up in the trash.

– Find farmers in the area and go directly to their outlets or local markets and even get a consumption group to reach local and ecological products more economically.

Avoid fast loans

– if necessary financing It will also be necessary to compare offers and review the terms of the loans. Fast loans and revolving cards or the like should be avoided.

Clothing and technology

– Reuse clothes from the previous year and remember that most damaged clothes can be damaged. repair or reuse. You can also buy second-hand clothes, donate or sell unused ones.

– Avoid unnecessary or unnecessary expenses and if you need to make a costly purchase and don’t look for second-hand markets or donations, you can expect sales.

– Some computer hardwaremobile phones, tablets and electronic devices can be updated, cleaned of temporary files and possible viruses or malware that slow down their operation, modify some programs for lighter versions, or even modify the operating system to improve their performance and extend their lifespan.

in some computers To improve performance, new components can be installed cheaper than buying a new one.