Winter is here and it is worth checking if you can save energy in your home and reduce your energy costs. The Energy Saving Trust has some top tips and quick wins!
Winter is here and it is worth checking if you can save energy in your home and reduce your energy costs.
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Understand your energy bill
The information on a typical energy bill can be confusing. But understanding it can go a long way to helping you get to grips with your energy use.
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Switch off standby
You can save around £30 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.
Almost all electronic appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. You may want to think about getting a standby saver which allows you to turn all your appliances off standby in one go.
Check the instructions for any appliances you aren’t sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record.
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Careful in your kitchen
You can save around £50 a year just by using your kitchen appliances more carefully:
- Use a bowl to wash up rather than a running tap and save £30 a year in energy bills.
- Only fill the kettle with the amount of water that you need and save around £7 a year.
- Cutback your washing machine use by just one cycle per week and save £5 a year on energy.
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Spend less time in the shower
Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save £10 off your energy bills each year, per person.
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Take control of your heating
Whatever the age of your boiler the right controls will let you:
- set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them
- heat only the areas of your home that need heating
- set the temperature for each area of your home.
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Turn off lights
Turn your lights off when you’re not using them. If you switch a light off for just a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again, regardless of the type of light. This will save you around £15 on your annual energy bills.
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Use your heating to dry your clothes
Try drying your washing when your heating is on by using a clothes horse rather than using a tumble dryer which uses additional energy.
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Don’t risk damage to your home when you go away
To prevent frozen pipes, which can cause hundreds of pounds of damage, the
Energy Saving Trust recommends you leave some heating on during winter even if you're not there.
If you can set your thermostat so the heating comes on when it drops below 5 degrees that should do it. It adds that if your thermostat doesn't go down that far, setting it to come on for a couple of hours a night at about 15/16 degrees should also be enough as it can take a long time for pipes to freeze.
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Consider switching energy supplier
Are you spending more money than necessary on your energy bills? If you check out one of the comparison websites to see what your supplier is charging compared to another supplier you may be surprised. It doesn’t take long to do a comparison and you might be able to save some money by switching supplier.
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Lookout for freebies and upgrades
There are some freebies and upgrades available from energy companies which may be supported by the government if your home qualifies. If you are not the home owner you may be able to speak with your landlord about it.
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And finally:
Get some advice and improve your energy efficiency