A Guide to Cutting Energy Costs at Home

The following energy-saving tips will go a long way in helping you save electricity and gas in your home. Included in the article are estimated figures that will help you see the potential energy savings you can expect to make.

Turning off standby appliances

Turning off your appliances when not in use can save you an average of £30 a year.

You should consider getting plug sockets that can be turned off and on using a phone because it makes it easier to switch unused appliances. A cheaper option is timer plugs that let you schedule turning appliances off.

Installing a smart thermostat

A smart thermostat is a good investment because you make heating more efficient by only heating rooms that are currently in use.

These thermostats learn how long it will take to heat the room then turn it on at the right time so that you can get home to the right temperature.

You can control them by your phone, which means you don’t have to come to a cold home.

If you install room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, and programmers, you can expect to save about £75 a year.

Turning down your thermostat

About half of what you spend on energy bills is for your heating and water costs.

When you turn your heating by just one degree, then you can easily save £80 a year.

Buying efficient appliances

You won’t save much money when you throw a perfectly good appliance, when the time comes to swap, you need to go with one that has high energy efficiency because it is going to be worth it.

Over an 11-year product lifespan, an A+++ washing machine is going to use £65 less energy compared to an A+ washing machine.

You will spend about £7 less in a year running a modern and efficient dishwasher compared to an older model.

When it comes to the fridge freezer, an A+++ model is going to save you about £320 in energy bills when compared to an A+ model.

Installing a new boiler

You will save energy when you replace the old boiler with a new A-rated condensing with a room thermostat, programmer, and thermostatic radiator controls according to these experts

When you upgrade from a G-rated boiler to an A-rated boiler, you can end up saving yourself about £300 a year.

Washing clothes at a lower temperature

When you wash your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40, you will reduce your usage. If you manage to cut out one wash cycle a week, then you can expect to save £5 every year on your energy bill.

Being smarter about water

Washing up in a bowl instead of a running tap can save you about £25 a year.

When you invest in an efficient showerhead, you can easily save as much as £18 per person every year on energy bills. You are also going to make some savings on your water meter.

If you put a shower timer in the bathroom, you can end up saving up to £7 per person each year when you cut down every shower by one minute.

Investing in double glazing

Double glazing will help insulate your home from the cold and it is going to help in reducing your energy bills. It will also help keep the noise out.

If a semi-detached house is single glazed, then installing A-rated double glazing can help save as much as £110 a year.

Draught proof the property

A cold draught results in heat loss, which might make you want to increase your heat. A good way to prevent this is by draught-proofing kits or draught excludes.

Sea; cracks in skirting boards and floors, block an unused chimney and line your letterbox and you can expect to save up to £35 a year.

If your home isn’t double-glazed, get plastic lining for the windows because it is going to keep more heat in and save energy.

Insulating the roof

Insulating the roof will help prevent heat from escaping. This process can be complicated, which makes it a good idea to hire an expert to do it.

While it is going to cost you several hundreds of pounds to insulate your lift, it can also save you about £135 in energy bills if your home is a semi-detached property.

Monitoring your usage

When you track your consumption, it can help you decide whether you need to change your energy usage. 
A smart meter will let you track your energy consumption in real-time. Additionally, using smart plugs to turn off lighting and even using more energy efficient lighting can make all the difference too.