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Energy bills busting your household budget? We can’t completely escape them, but we can reduce them with a few small changes to our daily habits.
At first, each individual change might not seem like much. But altogether and over time, the savings can stack up to save you hundreds of pounds in the long run.
Here are eight hacks for reducing your energy bills by hundreds of pounds.
- Optimise how you heat and cool your home
It takes a lot of energy to raise or lower the temperature of anything – so it may come as no surprise that heating and cooling your property can account for a large portion of your energy usage.
Using a programmable thermostat can reduce the manual admin involved in saving energy with your heating system: setting your thermostat to a cooler temperature at night or while you’re away prevents energy waste.
To keep the heat in on a cold day (or out on a hot day), check for any drafts in doors and windows and seal them up.
Don’t forget about also optimising your water heater settings and maintenance. Lower the temperature setting, insulate the pipes, and replace your water heater if it’s old and inefficient.
- Upgrade your appliances
Using energy-efficient appliances can save you even more money over time. When upgrading your fridge-freezer, washing machine, dishwasher etc, look out for their energy rating – specifically for green ‘A’ ratings, which are the most energy efficient.
Remember to maintain your appliances, too—both new and old. Clean the fluff from your dryer filter regularly, dust the back of the fridge to keep the coils clear, and de-ice the freezer every so often so they don’t have to work too hard and use more energy than necessary to do their job.
- Smart lighting choices
You probably already know you should switch lights off in rooms you’re not in, or in areas you’re not using. But did you know that the type of light bulb also matters when saving energy?
LED bulbs not only use significantly less electricity than incandescent bulbs when on, but they last for far longer, too. So, they will save you not only on your energy bill over the months but also on your shopping list over the years.
- Water efficiency
Reducing your boiler’s flow temperature a little can reduce the energy needed to heat your water. And to use less water, you can swap your regular shower head out for a low-flow one. Many on the market use less water than an old shower head, but also feel like the water pressure is stronger too – so it’s a win-win.
- Unplug electronics and use power strips
Thanks to a phenomenon called ‘phantom load’ or ‘vampire load’, many devices like TVs and laptops still use a small amount of energy even when turned off – if still plugged in at the mains.
Make sure you unplug everything you’re not using and use power strips to make unplugging several devices even easier. Smart power strips can be even handier because they can automatically shut down any electronics that go into standby mode – saving you from remembering to do it yourself.
- Energy-efficient laundry and dishes
Hold off running a wash until your washing machine (or dishwasher) is full to maximize the energy used. Setting your machines to ‘eco mode’ or your washing machine to 30°C is also a great energy-saving move, as is selecting shorter cycles.
If you have a dryer, consider air drying your laundry instead of running it to save even more energy—or run a short cycle to get things going and then air-dry your clothes the rest of the way.
- Change up your cooking habits
The kitchen is often the room in the house that uses the highest amount of energy. But taking up mindful cooking practices can
Microwaves use much less energy than ovens and hobs, but it might be impractical to cook exclusively with a microwave. Consider meal prepping, using your oven to cook larger batches at a time, and then reheating portions throughout the week in the microwave. Because you won’t switch your oven on and off several times, less energy will be used to heat the whole unit.
When boiling liquid on the hob, boiling it from cold takes longer and uses more energy. Get a head start by using hot water from the tap or boiling water in the kettle first.
- Streamline your utility bills
Choosing a home services provider that maximizes your savings can be a quick win.
Switching your energy, broadband, mobile and insurance to Utility Warehouse lets you make the most of their bundle discounts. And then taking up a free smart meter installation by UW can see your monthly bills drop too.
Although smart meters themselves don’t inherently save you money, they let you see your energy usage in pounds in pence and near-real-time. So you can take steps to change your energy-using habits.
Individually, these tips may not seem like much – but implement them all together and consistently, and you’ll start seeing the savings stack up in no time.
