I read my meters once a month and keep a spreadsheet, so I can keep an eye on my usage. It only takes a few minutes but it is interesting to compare with previous years.
Is your cottage well insulated? I use very little hot water so only have the immersion on for half an hour a day during the summer,in the winter the central heating heats it up. I have the heating on for one hour in the morning, and then just put the gas fire on when necessary.
All my laundry is dried in the tumble drier, on cheap rate electricity, and my dishwasher is put on during the night too.
I've just looked at my bill online and I am �80 in credit, so should be okay for the rest of the winter. I'm off to Tenerife for a month soon, so everything except the freezer will be turned off.
The cavity wall insulation made a big difference, I think