Saving Money On Your Energy Bills: Tips So Easy You’ll Barely Notice Them!
The proverb ‘charity begins at home’ can also be applied to finding ways at home to help in the fight against climate change. The less that energy that we use, means the less that needs to be generated, which in turn reduces the damage made to the planet.
With many of us looking for ways to help reduce our energy consumption, there are a number of great tips available to help not only decrease the energy we use within our home, but which will also help with saving money. Implementing a few changes to your home will not only help you save the planet, it will also allow you to save some money – a win-win situation! Here are some useful tips to help you save money on your next energy bill.
The Power Of Lighting
Simple steps such as turning off a light as you leave a room, can help a household to save a little bit of money on their next energy bill. Alongside flicking the switch off when you leave a room, switching to energy saving lightbulbs can also be beneficial to both the environment and your bank account.
Not only do they help save money by the amount of energy they use, but energy-saving bulbs last up to an impressive 10 years, and LED bulbs sometimes lasting up to 25 years.
Whilst energy efficient bulbs are a touch more expensive off the shelf, there efficient energy use and longer lifetimes means that they cost less in the long run.
Energy Efficient Appliances
Dishwashers, when used efficiently, have been proven to use less energy in comparison to repeatedly heating the water up to wash the dishes. For instance, only start the dishwasher when it is fully loaded and avoid pre-rinsing any dishes unless it is necessary. Instead, remove any leftovers and place the dishes straight in the dishwasher.
In addition to this, installing a new boiler, such as upgrading to a highly rated one, can help to improve your home’s efficiency overall.
Insulating The Home
Upgrading the insulation within the home will help to reduce the cost of heating the house. Insulating the loft can help to reduce a significant amount, and it is a job that can be done in just a few hours.
In addition to the loft, insulating your floor helps to create a barrier so heat is unable to escape. Many have opted for underfloor heating in certain rooms of the house, for instance the bathroom or kitchen. Companies such as CP12 Energy provide quality energy efficient underfloor heating that is suited for any type of property.
Adjusting Temperatures
The simple action of turning down the heating in rooms, although sounds obvious, will help you to save money. Most room thermostats require a free flow of air to sense the temperature accurately. As such, they must not be covered by things such as curtains or blocked by furniture, and nearby electric fires, televisions or lamps could also stop them from working properly as well.
Additionally, the majority of room thermostats are for one room only. Once the room it is sited in reaches the set temperature, it will turn the boiler off, which is why it is recommended that the best place to install a thermostat is in a room that is used all of the time.
Reduce Water Consumption
Using a high-pressure show is a luxury, the amount of water it uses is quite astounding, as such turning the pressure down can help to make a difference to your bills. Aside from turning the pressure down, reducing the time spent in the shower will also help in saving the amount used, as most use anything between 6 and 45 litres per minute. Another tip is turning off the tap whilst you are brushing your teeth or washing your face, as leaving the water running can use up to six litres of water per minute.
Even a small change such as fixing a dripping tap can help to save water, which in turn reduces your bill. A dripping tap can waste a staggering 15 litres of water a day, or 5,500 litres of water a year.
These simple changes not only enables you to reduce your energy use, but it also allows you to save some money, especially if you are on a water meter.
Monitoring Energy Usage
Investing in gadgets such as an energy monitor provides you with an estimate in real time around how much energy you are using within your home. For instance, you can use it to find out how the different appliances you have in your home affects your energy consumption, and the impact made when you change your current habits. Whilst the monitor itself will not save you electricity, using it the right way will in the long term.