With energy bills continuing to rise, along with the dramatic deterioration of global warming, it has now become more important than ever to begin actively working towards lowering your energy bills. Regardless of whether you are a homeowner, student or live with parents, there are a plethora of ways that you can become more energy conscious. To give you some inspiration, we have put together a guide to the top seven home energy saving tips; all of which are super easy to incorporate into your lifestyle.
Cut Your Bills With These Home Energy Saving Tips
From cutting bad habits to improving your property, there are hundreds of different ways that you can lower your energy usage, one step at a time. While, of course, the primary motivation for taking a more efficient approach is environmental factors, it can also save you a considerable amount of money in energy bills. So, without further ado, let’s delve deeper into our top seven top tips!
1. Turn Off Standby Appliances
Taking into consideration all of the gadgets in your home, how many people can safely say that they switch off all electronics when not in use? From games consoles to televisions, there are a whole host of devices which continually consume energy merely down to failing to switch them off from the mains. Although putting them on standby, of course, is better than leaving them switched on full power, a considerable amount of energy is still wasted. It is thought that by remembering to turn appliances off at the plug every time that they are no longer in use, you could save a minimum of £30 a year.
If you are guilty of forgetting to turn off standby appliances, there are a handful of tools which can help you to lower your energy consumption. Timer plugs, while less modern, feature a timing mechanism, which enables you to schedule for the plug to switch off after a set amount of time. Both dials and digital timers are available, meaning that as long as you remember to programme your device, you can be reassured that no electricity will be wasted.
If you are a lover of all things tech, then smart plug would be the perfect alternative. Smart plugs allow you to have full control over your electricity usage, all from an easy-to-use smartphone app. They can be operated through either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, meaning that as long as you are connected, you can switch on or off any devices simply through a few taps. For more information on the best smart plugs of the year, head over to T3.
2. Be Water Smart
According to research by Energy Saving Trust, the British public use around 840 billion litres of water every year - that’s a vast 350 litres of water each household every single day! Although lowering energy usage may, at first, seem somewhat tricky, it is actually one of the easiest hurdles to overcome. Taking a smarter approach to water usage is simply down to making slight lifestyle changes and adapting your routine. Just some of the many ways in which you can begin to reduce the amount of wasted water include the following:
- Install A Water-Saving Showerhead - Showers are the biggest culprits for water usage, amounting to a substantial 25% of water bills. While showering is a necessity, you can lower the amount of water used by installing a water-saving showerhead. A water-saving showerhead restricts how much water filters through the shower by balancing the spray pattern with the flow rate. You will still feel as if you are relaxing under a powerful shower, yet your water usage will be reduced.
- Use A Washing Up Bowl - While it may seem an obvious tip, it can save you up to £25 a year. Opting for filling a washing up bowl with water when washing items as opposed to washing them under a running tap is a super easy, yet effective lifestyle change.
- Keep A Water Jug In The Fridge - We all run the tap until the water goes cold before filling our glass or bottle. While there is nothing wrong with wanting chilled water, using this method does waste a considerable amount of water. Instead, fill a jug with water and place it in the fridge to cool. This way, you do not need to waste water waiting for it to go cold.
- Fix A Dripping Tap - Did you know that failing to fix a dripping tap can waste up to 15 litres a day? That totals to 5,500 litres of water in just one year. You can find a full guide on how to fix a dripping tap on AXA.
For more super easy ways to become more ‘water smart’, take a look at the Eden Project website.
3. Draught-Proof Your Home
The frustrating cold breeze that you consistently feel streaming through your home is one of the biggest culprits for wasting energy. With every draught, the first reaction is to increase your central heating by a few degrees, which slowly begins to build up and cause a spike in your energy bills. While it can be somewhat tedious, there are a plethora of different ways that you can draught-proof your home.
If required, you can enlist the help of a professional to draught-proof your entire home; however, this can prove pricey. The average draught-proofing project can cost up to £250; of which many tasks can be done through DIY methods at a considerably lower price tag.
Windows, doors and chimneys are the most straightforward components of the home to draught-proof. You can spot where you need to draught-proof through the candle test. Light a candle and carefully walk towards the window, door or chimney. Start to slowly move the candle and look out for the flame. If the flame begins to flicker, then this indicates the area in which you need to draught-proof. The most effective methods of draught-proofing windows, doors and chimneys include the following:
- Windows - Apply a self-adhesive foam, plastic or metal strip around the frame to fill any gaps.
- Doors - Invest in a keyhole cover and letterbox brush to eliminate a cold breeze. For any gaps around the bottom, fit a hinged flap draught excluder. Gaps around the edges, on the other hand, can be resolved using the strips used for windows.
- Chimneys - Either a cap can be fitted over the chimney pot or a draught excluder around the fireplace. Always remember to remove these before lighting the fire.
4. Switch Energy Supplier
If you have had the same home energy plan for many years with the same supplier, then switching could save you a considerable amount of money. Particularly if you are on a fixed energy deal, unless you contact your supplier to discuss available energy plans when the agreement expires, they will automatically switch your plan over to their standard tariff. This tends to be the most expensive tariff that they offer. With this in mind, it is thought that switching your supplier can save you up to £250 a year.
As highly reputable energy suppliers, Ampower promises customers sustainable green energy plans, ideal for lowering the carbon footprint of their property. With extensive industry experience and a wealth of technical knowledge, teams spend time understanding customer requirements before devising a home electricity plan that fits with their home, family and lifestyle. Our free quotation tool takes under two minutes to complete. Simply submit your postcode, the type of energy you want and the amount of energy you use to see your savings!
5. Use A Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is a fantastic way to gain more control over your energy usage, giving you the opportunity to programme your central heating in as little as a few seconds. No longer will energy be wasted throughout the day when it is not necessarily needed; ultimately, resulting in an immediate reduction in energy bills.
When installing a smart thermostat, you are free to set a customised schedule based on when you would like your central heating to switch on and off, along with programming the most comfortable temperature for your home. Many homeowners opt for setting their central heating to begin warming up around half an hour before they arrive home from work in the Winter, meaning it is at a cosy temperature when they settle down to relax for the evening. It can then switch itself off just after you go to sleep in the evening, stopping energy from being wasted overnight. You may also want to consider programming your heating to switch on before you wake up in the morning, particularly over the colder months.
If you are yet to invest in a smart thermostat, we suggest taking a browse through Tech Advisor’s top ten of the year so far!
6. Improve Home Insulation
Adequate insulation is imperative in ensuring that your home can remain at a comfortable temperature. It stops warm air from escaping in the Winter and heat from seeping in during the Summer. Insulation reduces the exchange of heat, which not only maintains temperature but also helps to lower energy bills and improve property efficiency. While insulation is likely to be the most expensive investment in our list of energy-saving tips, it will help you to save more than £100 a year. It also means that the 40% of heat lost through the walls will be eliminated.
The trickiest hurdle when improving insulation is choosing which type is best suited to your home; this is very much based around the age of your property. For a full guide on the different types of insulation, take a look at Energy.Gov.
7. Switch To LED Bulbs
Making the transition to LED bulbs continues to grow in popularity and is a recommendation for every UK household. As the most energy-efficient source of light, LED bulbs are explicitly designed to save both money and energy. It is thought that they use around 90% less energy than any of their traditional alternatives, making them a worthwhile investment for every property owner.
When comparing LED’s to traditional lightbulbs, many are surprised by the vast difference in statistics. A conventional light bulb has a lifetime of 1,000 hours, which totals to just under two years and costs £9.66 per year to run. LED bulbs, on the other hand, are more than capable of lasting up to 25,000 hours, which translates to 25 years, costing just £1.56 in energy each year.
Save Time, Money & Energy!
As mentioned previously, lowering your energy is all based on adopting small lifestyle changes and taking a ‘greener’ approach to daily life. Before heading off for the day, allow just an extra few minutes to ensure that all plugs are switched off and your central heating is scheduled for when you arrive home. Getting yourself out of the routine of bad habits such as wasting water will be the trickiest task, but once you have nailed it, it will become second nature. Take one tip at a time, and we promise that before you know it, you will spot a dramatic decrease in your energy bills!