Handy tips for reducing energy use and saving money at home
Here are some handy tips for reducing energy use and saving money around the home.
Heat the human not the house. Hot drinks, hot water bottles and electric blankets are low cost, localised heating options which are more efficient than heating a whole house.
Fill the kettle up with only the water that you will need. Do not fill the kettle to the top.
Refresh your knowledge of the workings of your boiler settings and optimise them to make sure the boiler comes on only when you need it. If your home is older and not well insulated, it’s better to put the heating on for short periods rather than try to maintain a constant temperature.
Install a smart electric meter so you can understand daily usage and use the data it collects to work out what is the most efficient electrical usage for your home.
Change all lightbulbs to LED. Although the bulbs can seem expensive, they will reduce your electricity bills. Look to have some smaller lamps available as an alternative in rooms which have large light fittings with multiple bulbs or multiple spotlights. It’s better to have one bulb on than ten.
Lighting. Turn off the lights when not in the room; put up some signs; people, especially children, need reminding.
Washing machines and tumble dryers. Make sure you are washing full loads on a cool setting, and use an economy setting if possible when you need to use a higher temperature setting. As for tumble dryers, if you need to use them, again make sure it is a full load, but if you have the heating on then the clothes should dry inside naturally. Buy a large free standing clothes dryer and place it next to a powerful radiator.
Radiators. If they have thermostats on, turn down the thermostat in rooms which are used infrequently and don’t cover the radiators with clothes you are trying to dry as it will reduce their effectiveness and stop them heating your house.
Baths and showers. Reduce the depth of the bath and reduce time spent in the shower. Anything to reduce the amount of hot water used is in turn less cold water going into the system that needs to be heated up.