10 energy-saving tips for your home
When you spend your hard-earned money on something you want it to be worth it’s money, and with the ever increasing price of energy bills it’s easy to feel disappointed by how much of your pay cheque goes straight towards bills. However with our energy saving tips you can become more energy efficient, helping you stop the large energy bills and get the most out of your gas and electricity. These tips will help you lower your home’s carbon footprint and help you save the extra pennies.
What is energy efficiency and why is it becoming more important?
With new buzzwords being thrown around all the time, like net zero, carbon neutral and green goals, it can quickly become hard to keep track of what they all mean. To put it simply, to begin reversing the effects of climate change we need to start making changes in our everyday lives which, collectively, will start to make a real difference to the planet. One way of achieving this is through being energy efficient. The more energy you save, the lower your carbon emissions, which in turn benefits the environment. There are lots of ways you can help save energy around the house, and with 40% of UK emissions coming from the household it’s an important place to start making change. And when you save on energy, you save on your electricity bill as well- a win-win!
Here are a few tips on how to make everyday changes which will help you save money on your energy bill:
1 . Fully load your washing machine and dishwasher
Half-loads settings do not save any electricity; rapidly heating the water and powering the machines is what uses the most electricity, which means that even with a half load the energy use will be high. Fully loading your machines is much more efficient, so try and do fewer, but fuller, wash loads instead.
2 . Use eco settings
On your boiler and dishwasher, the eco setting heats water at a slower rate, which uses a lot less energy than rapidly heating water. You’ll get the same results as the normal setting, it will just take a little longer.
3 . Don’t use standby mode
Unless you switch them off at the wall, appliances like your TV and computers will continue to use energy, costing the average home extra money each month.
4 . Mind the kettle
When making ourselves a tea or coffee, we tend to fill the kettle all the way. However from this, as a country we’re wasting around £68 million worth of energy a year. Instead try filling the kettle with only the amount you need to stop you spending money on the extra water.
5 . Switch to LED bulbs
LED bulbs last longer and are extremely energy efficient. Try switching your bulbs to help reduce your energy bills.
6 . Use your microwave more often
You’ll be saving money as microwaves are quicker than the stove-top or the oven, and do not take as much energy to power. You should also consider a slow cooker if you want an alternative to the expensive oven, and these use a low amount of power over a longer time, helping you save energy.
7 . Unplug your chargers
People tend to leave their chargers plugged into their outlets unnecessarily, over-charging their phones and devices over night. Instead, as soon as your device is fully charged you should unplug the charger. Not only will this save energy from being wasted, it also help prolong your devices battery life, and can save you up to £60 a year on your electricity bills.
8 . Close your curtains at night
In the winter you should try and let as much natural hot air in as possible, however when dusk falls make sure to shut the windows tight and draw the curtains. This will help keep the heat trapped in your house, and stop you having to use the expensive central heating.
9 . Turn down your temperature
With modern effective washing detergents, there’s often no need for a hot wash with your machine. Any higher than 30°C is a waste of energy.
10 . Update your heating system
New boilers may be expensive, but in the long run they are much more energy efficient and will help you keep the monthly bills down. They will help you save energy and lower your carbon emissions per year.
Prefer a conventional version?
Click the button to see this smart-mag as a digital interactive booklet.