Winter is coming
10 top tips for saving money on your energy bills this winter
With the energy market in crisis and the economic climate in chaos we all need to tighten our belts this winter. Here are a few ideas to help you save some money on your energy bills.
Apart from the usual costly things like insulating your loft, lagging your pipes and water cylinder, blocking drafts, installing double glazing and changing your boiler for a new low-carbon heating system, there are some simple ideas to save you money which won’t cost you a penny to do (apart from No 10!):
Gadgets Turn off all those gadgets, TV's and appliances that are constantly on standby. They’re a huge drain and according to Energy Saving Trust this could save you around £55 a year!
Lights Switch the lights off. If you’re in the lounge all evening, why have you got the kitchen lights on?
Showers Reduce your shower time to 4 minutes and use the eco shower control to reduce the amount of hot water you use. According to water.org.uk a modern power shower uses around 13 litres of your precious hot water a minute. You do the math! By comparison, a full bath uses about 80 litres!!
Kettle Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you actually need for a cuppa. The kettle uses a big chunk of electricity so the longer it takes to boil, the more it will cost you.
Washing Machine Try and plan your laundry and reduce your washing machine usage – just cutting out one wash a week can help. And reducing the temperature to 30 degrees will go a long way. Unless you have heavily soiled items there’s absolutely no reason to wash clothing on 60 or even 40 degrees. 30 is ample for freshening up clothing.
Drying Clothes The tumble drier is a huge contributor to your electricity bill. Whenever you can, avoid the tumble drier or only use it during Economy 7 hours if you have it. Also try and avoid drying clothes on your radiators - this will only make your radiators have to work harder and increases the cost of running your boiler. A good old fashioned clothes horse is the best option when it’s pouring with rain outside.
Energy Bills Check your electricity bill! I know this is easier said than done as they’re very (unnecessarily) complicated but make sure your energy company have your actual meter reading on a regular basis and aren’t using over-inflated estimates.
Heating Turn your heating thermostat as low as you can stand. According to the Energy Savings Trust, increasing the temperature by just one degree will increase your annual heating bill by about 10%.
Dishwasher Use your dishwasher but stack it properly, fill it, put it on the Eco setting and turn it on during Economy 7 hours if you have it. According to Which? an efficient, full-size dishwasher can use 10 times less hot water than washing dishes by hand in the sink.
Boiler Get your boiler serviced before the bad weather hits us. Here at Carters we charge £78 and it could save you £100’s in the long run and will ensure your boiler is running as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Call me - 07717 572957