Tips for saving money and becoming more energy efficient
Reducing the amount of energy you use in your home can mean considerable savings on the cost of your energy bills each month. Fortunately, there are various simple and easy ways you can start reducing your energy use in the home:
- Reduce your thermostat by just 1 degree centigrade. This alone could cut your central heating costs by around 10%
- Make sure your hot water cylinder and pipes are all well insulated, and check that the loft insulation is of adequate thickness and is fitted neatly.
- Retain heat by closing your windows open when the heating is on, and close curtains at dusk to keep the heat in.
- Keep internal doors closed to reduce draughts, and fix brush seals to exterior doors and letterboxes to retain heat.
- Fix aluminium reflectors behind radiators to direct and circulate warm air into the room.
- Take a shower, as this uses a lot less water than a bath. If you have a power-shower, be wary of how long your showers are as they can use just as much water as a bath.
- When buying new electrical appliances, take notice of their energy consumption ratings to assess their efficiency in the long term.
- Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently. Fast build-up of ice may indicate a damaged door seal.
- Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or dishwasher, to save on water and electricity.
- Try to use an outside line for drying clothes whenever possible. When using a tumble dryer, clean the filter regularly and check any outside vent is clear.
- Fill the kettle only to the level needed, and ensure that you regularly de-scale in hard water areas.
- Don't leave your TV and other electrical appliances on standby - turn them off at the main switch, as leaving equipment on standby can still result in energy being used.
- Use low wattage, energy saving light bulbs. They are more expensive to buy but last up to 10 times longer while using much less electricity.
- If you have a dual rate electricity meter (economy 7), make use of this by setting your appliances to come on at night. Night time electricity will cost around 1/3 of the day rate and reduce peak demand for the supplier.
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