With winter fast approaching and the cost of living on the rise, find our top tips on how you can minimise your energy and water bills and start saving now! Step-by-step guidance that addresses each area of your usage during these cash-strapped times.
Save £££ on Energy
- Install a Smart Meter – this allows you to monitor live usage of your energy, often offering an in-home display unit.
- Remove ‘phantom energy’ use – turn off your appliances when not in use (NOT THE FRIDGE – turning this off and on by socket will cost you MORE!), or better yet, unplug them! Eliminate “stand-by” as this secretly wastes energy, though this is not the same issue as once was…
- Swap your light bulbs – using energy efficient/saving light bulbs/LEDs will help you to save money and remember to always turn off lights when leaving the room!
Save £££ on Heating
- Turn the thermostat down – for each degree you lower this, you should expect an average saving of £65 per year for a typical home. (MSE)
- Turn off the ‘preheat’ function on your boiler. Though it may decrease water wastage, pre-heating is inefficient when trying to save energy.
- Only have your heating on when you need it on, don’t leave it on all day!
- Keep your radiators free of obstructions – when in use, radiators should be clear of any objects to allow heat to radiate from the panel. Obstructing the radiator will make heat release less efficient and will slow the heating of the area.
- Only heat the room that you are in – turn off other radiators in rooms not in use, close doors and windows, block out any draughts too.
- Insulate your home – check spaces like windows, doors, chimney, floor and loft for any draughts and resolve asap to minimise heat loss. Draught-proofing can lower energy bills by 2%, around £30 per annum in a typical home.
Save £££ on Washing
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Wash your clothes at a lower temperature – 30’C is proven to require less energy by up to 38% energy than when washing at 40’C.
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Run appliances when they are full – don’t use the dishwasher unless it is completely full, make sure your washing loads are full too! Less cycles = less money spent!
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Air dry instead of tumble drying or utilise radiators when in use to dry out clothing and wet items. The Energy Saving trust states that you could save £60 a year if you do not use the tumble dryer!
Save £££ on Cooking/Food
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Use your slow cooker! Slow cookers are renown for being energy efficient appliances and also present the opportunity to bulk cook – another key tip!
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Microwaves use less energy than the oven – utilise them if you can.
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Batch cooking is ideal as it minimises oven/cooker usage.
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Pack out your freezer – when your freezer is full, it requires less energy to power: less circulation of cold air means less energy waste.
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Clean fridge filters to ensure optimum efficiency.
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Only open fridge/freezer when necessary. Opening the door frequently allows the temperature to fluctuate, requiring energy to lower again.
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Only boil what you need – boiling a kettle multiple times a day can be costly. Boiling just enough water enables the water to reach optimum temperature much quicker, minimising the time required to boil the kettle = less energy used.
Save £££ on Water
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Choose a shower over a bath and get a shower timer to be extra-mindful of water use, or you could use a timer alert on your phone. Less shower time = less £££!
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Remember to turn the tap off whilst you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
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Check if you are eligible for free money saving appliances by visiting Get Water Fit: https://www.getwaterfit.co.uk/?utm_source=MSE&utm_medium=website&utm_content=cut-water-bills#
Or Save Water Save Money - https://www.savewatersavemoney.co.uk -
Wash up your dishes in a bowl instead of under a running tap.
SOURCES
Quick tips to save energy at home - Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Tips | How To Reduce Bills | MoneySuperMarket
Energy Saving Tips (moneysavingexpert.com)
How to save energy at home for cheaper energy bills | E.ON (eonenergy.com)