If you are feeling frustrated by the ever rising cost of gas and electricity don’t panic. Instead check out our 6 top tips for reducing your energy bills and start saving right away.
With the winter months faster approaching higher energy bills are looming on the horizon. Here are 6 simple ways you can reduce your energy bills in an instant.
1. Avoid standby
Leaving appliances on standby puts a real drain on your electricity bill.
When you think about all the appliances in your home that stay on standby when they're not in use you're likely to be surprised at just how much energy you unintentionally waste.
Switching your TV, DVD player, stereo, games console, computer and any other appliance off at the mains whenever you’re not using them is one way to drastically cut your energy bill.
If you find yourself forgeting to switch everything off at the mains, you might want to consider using energy saving plugs. They will automatically switch appliances off when your push the dreaded standby button!
You can even get a free energy saving plug sent straight to your door if you order it before the 31st of December 2010.
2. Plan your heating
Heating your home makes up a large proportion of your energy bill so rather than leaving your boiler running 24/7 it pays to be smart and plan your heating.
Most boilers can be programmed to switch on and off at certain times of the day. As well as using this handy feature to make sure your home is warm when you need it to be, you can also use the timer to save money on your energy bills.
Heating an empty home is pointless so the first thing to do is check that your timer is set to come on at times you need it to. Set your heating to switch off a little before you leave home or go to bed and your home will still retain the heat but you'll save on the cost of energy,
You’d be surprised just how quickly this could build up over a year, with 2 hours of savings each day adding up to over a month’s heating a year!
Make sure your thermostat is set correctly too. Turning it down a degree or two is unlikely to make a significant difference to how warm your house feels but it'll make a big difference to your bills.
3. Don’t let your heat escape
You can keep your home warm but still spend less on heating it by taking steps to make sure you keep the heat in.
This is a really simple way to cut your energy costs and doesn’t have to involve climbing into the loft (although getting yours insulated is a really good idea!).
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows, and seal draughts around windows and doors.
Make sure your windows are shut properly rather than just ‘pulled too’ to stop heat from escaping and pull furniture away from radiators so the hot air circulates around the room rather than being absorbed.
Another easy way to stop heat escaping is to place a sheet of cardboard wrapped in tin foil behind your radiators, this will reflect the heat generated back into the room meaning you lose less heat through your exterior walls.
4. Get smart with electrical appliances
Filling your dishwasher and washing machine before you switch them on is one easy way to cut the amount of water and energy you use.
Opting for an eco-wash or switching to a lower temperature is a good idea too; turning down the dial by 10 degrees uses a lot less energy and with the strength of modern washing products is unlikely to impact on the quality of the wash.
Line-drying rather than using a tumble-dryer is another easy way to cut your energy consumption when you do the laundry. However, if you need to air your washing inside don't hang it on radiators as the clothes will absorb the heat and stop it warming your home as efficiently. Instead, go for a clothes airer placed nearby.
Also, check your energy tariff you're on to find out if you are charged a more for your energy at different times throughout the day.
If you find that is the case, doing your washing off-peak means you won't pay a premium for clean clothes and dishes.
5. Stop wasting water
Simply put, if you're on a meter wasting water is costly (if you're not on a meter you should find out whether switching is worth your while - check out our cheaper utilities Action Plan to find out how).
So ask yourself, are there any ways you can cut down the amount of water you use?
Simple steps such as making sure you don’t leave a tap running and opting for a shower rather than a bath can save a significant amount.
Other simple steps you can take to save water include putting a Hippo Water Saver device in your toilet cistern; this will reduce the amount of water you use every time you flush the loo.
Alternatively you could use a filled bottle or brick to do the same job and reduce the amount of water used in a similar way.
You can also look at installing a water saving device such as a water widget to your shower to reduce the amount of water you use.
Finally, fixing any leaky taps in your home will also save a huge amount on your water bill and will ensure you stop literally pouring money down the drain.
6. Kettle Etiquette
One of the better known (but often ignored!) tips on our list, filling your kettle with the amount of water you need rather than to the brim means you will spend significantly less energy heating water you don’t need.
It will also mean you avoid re-heating the same water again and again, wasting energy and money each time.
You can take this tip further by refilling your kettle with a cup of water after boiling if you expect you will need more hot water. The already-hot filament in the kettle will begin heating the water, saving you energy the next time you come to boil.
If you live in a hard water area, descaling your kettle is another top energy saving, and bill slashing tip.
