As the price of heating our homes reaches an all time high, and the pressure to reduce our carbon footprint gently increases, most of us are looking for ways in which we can save energy, cut our bills, and help the environment at the same time.
So read on for some great energy saving tips.
Turn Things Down Or Off
We often leave things on or have settings higher than they need to be. Prime examples include water that is running much hotter than we need and washing clothes at higher temperatures when modern washing powders cope just as well at 40 degrees.
We also tend to leave things switched on at the wall. However many appliances then rest in ‘standby’ mode when electricity is still being drained. In fact about six percent of our energy use is just from items left on standby.
- Switch off lights when you leave a room
- Turn your heating down a minimum of one notch
- Turn the temperature of your water down
- Run your washing machine and dishwasher at cooler temperatures
- Switch off electrical appliances when you are not using them
- Don’t use the tumble dryer when unnecessary
Insulation
Insulating your home is a key energy saver and one of the biggest investments you can make to save money and energy in the long run. Most of our heating escapes through the roof, walls and windows of a home, so these are the areas to concentrate on insulating.
- Lag your boiler
- Insulate your loft
- Draw your curtains
- Insulate your wall cavities
- Draught-proof your home
- Double-glaze your windows
Gizmos & Gadgets
There are quite a lot of useful energy-saving products out on the market these days. No longer do energy-saving light bulbs need to be ugly or cast a harsh light – modern ones look the same as ‘normal’ bulbs an the light diffusion is also virtually identical.
- Buy energy-saving light bulbs to replace your normal ones
- Buy an energy-saving plug to replace your normal one for appliances left on, e.g. the fridge.
- Fit aluminium foil behind radiators to reflect the heat
In The Kitchen
- Only fill your kettle with the water that you need
- Don’t leave taps running
- When using the oven, plan to bake more than one meal at a time and freeze
- De-frost your fridge and freezer regularly
- Turn your microwave off at the wall as powering its clock uses energy
In The Bathroom
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth rather than leaving the water running
- Place a brick in the toilet cistern or use less water per flush or flush less often
- Take a shower rather than a bath – it uses far less water and therefore also heats less
How Much Money Can Be Saved?
It is surprising how much money can actually be saved from your monthly or annual bill by just taking simple steps towards saving energy.
The following estimates were taken from the 2008 estimates made by Energy Saving Advice:
- Insulating your loft – £80-£100 per year
- Double Glazing your windows – £40 per year
- Energy Saving light bulbs – £5 – £10 per year
- Lagging your hot water tank – £10 per year
- Replacing an old boiler – £120 – £200 per year
- Turning your heating down by one notch – up to £50 per year
- Draft proofing your home – £35 per year
- Insulating wall cavities – £130 per year
More Information
There’s loads of information out there about how you can cut costs and save energy, plus grants available for those who need them. So don’t pay out unnecessarily, get energy-saving today!
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