Want to cut down your energy costs? Here are some great tips to cut costs and energy usage in your home.
Turn Down Your Thermostat
Installing a room thermostat can be a great way to reduce your home’s heating bill. The Energy Saving Trust recommends dropping the room temperature by just 1 degree to help you save up to £70 each year.
Some thermostats allow you to regulate the temperature and manage the heating from a smartphone or other device. So, if you will be arriving at home later than originally planned, you can delay the heating coming on to avoid wasting both energy and money. Ensuring that your boiler is working efficiently is another way to heat your home and save on your energy bills. With boiler coverage and maintenance you can be sure that your boiler is always working as it should be.
Wash Clothes at a Lower Temperature
One household appliance that’s frequently used is the washing machine and the Energy Saving Trust found that it costs between £30 and £50 a year to run, so one way you can save energy is by changing laundry habits.
Lower temperatures use less energy. Which? found that turning down the temperature on your washing machine from 40°C to 20°C can help reduce running costs by as much as 62 percent.
It can also be a good idea to only wash clothes when it is really necessary as opposed to after wearing them just once. A better idea would be to hang them outside to help freshen them up.
III. Wise Use of Water
The less water you use, the less energy will be needed for heating it, so try swapping a bath for a short 5-minute shower since it uses about 50 percent of the water volume of a standard bath.
Installing a water efficient shower head could even help further and save a 4-person household up to £100 each year on gas according to the Energy Saving Trust. It can also help lower your water bills if you have a water meter installed.
To help reduce your usage, use a bowl of water rather than leaving the tap running when cleaning dishes. You should also wait until the washing machine and dishwasher is full before turning it one, because half loads tend to use more than half the energy and water of a full load.
Energy Usage Monitoring
You might not even be aware of when and how much energy you are consuming. For instance, even chargers that are switched on but aren’t connected to any device still use electricity.
If you install a smart meter, you will have information about your energy consumption to help you see how much you are spending along with sending the readings to your supplier directly.
If you keep an eye on your usage of energy, you can start to see what is using the most power and where you could potentially reduce it.
Draught Proof Your Home
Losing heat from your home will drive your energy costs higher since it will take longer to heat your home and harder to keep it warm. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, try finding areas where heat could be escaping from your property.
The Energy Trust has found that you could save up to £30 annually by draught-proofing your windows and doors. Up to 25 percent of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Ensuring that your loft is insulated could help you save up to £415 annually.
Invest in Efficient Appliances
Some household appliances are particularly susceptible to consuming a lot of energy. Wet appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines usually account for 15 percent of the bill.
Appliances are rated on an energy saving scale from A to G and A+++ is the most efficient rating. If you choose the right model and efficiency level, you can save money on your bill.
Another way to reduce your household energy costs is to replace your light bulbs with LED alternatives. It can help you save up to £50 annually.
VII. Replace Your Boiler
Heating and hot water often account for more than 50 percent of your energy usage, which means that having an efficient boiler can make a huge difference with regards to how much you pay.
The efficiency of a boiler usually decreases as it gets older, so if you have a boiler that’s 15 years old or more, you start noticing the bills creeping up, you should consider replacing it.
Modern boilers are usually A-rated and operate at over 90 percent efficiently, which means that upgrading your boiler could help you save on energy bills.
