It’s no secret that gas and electricity prices have been steadily increasing for the past few years, and that the six major suppliers have no intention of stopping these price rises any time soon. It is possible to shave a few pounds off your energy bills each week with a few small changes though, and to help you get started we have listed below 10 ways to save energy at home;
1. Use energy saving light bulbs
One energy saving light bulb might not make a noticeable difference to your electricity bill but installing them all around your home will. For example, a 15 watt low energy bulb will provide the same light as a 60 watt standard bulb while using a quarter of the electricity. Make this change in all of your rooms and you’ll save a few pounds a week at least (providing you turn your lights off when not in use!)
2. Insulate windows and doors
If you have poorly fitting windows or doors make sure they have adequate insulation to keep the drafts out and the heat in. Draft excluder tape can be bought from any DIY store for a few pounds and is very easy to fit. Alternatively secure a layer of thick cling film to the inside of your window frames to create a secondary double glazing effect. Poorly fitting doors can be improved with the addition of a thick curtain. It may not look pretty but it will keep your heat in and your energy bills down.
3. Turn your thermostat down
Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can have a big difference on your gas bill. You won’t notice the difference with regards to the temperature in your home but you will see a drop in the amount of gas you use.
4. Put your radiators to good use
When you have your heating on try to do your washing at the same time. By doing so you can dry your clothes on your warm radiators rather than using your expensive tumble dryer.
5. Stick foil behind your radiators
Radiators are notoriously good at heating the walls they’re attached to rather than the room they’re in. Placing foil behind your radiators helps to reflect the heat they produce into the room, resulting in warmer rooms and lower gas bills.
6. Buy cheap woolly jumpers
This may sound like a silly suggestion but some discount stores sell thermal jumpers for less than £10 these days. Couple this with a decent pair of lined trousers and your need to put the heating on won’t be as strong. Even if you only wait an extra hour or two a day before turning the heating on you’ll still save on your energy bills.
7. Don’t leave electrical items on stand-by
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking ‘stand-by’ is the same as ‘off’ but it isn’t. An electrical item left on stand-by is still using electricity. Turn these items off at the wall when not in use and save a few pounds a month.
8. Move your fridge and freezer
Your fridge and freezer use a lot of electricity in order to stay cold so why not move them to a cold area cutting down the amount of work they have to do. The garage is always a popular place for these items, or if this isn’t possible try to place them in a utility room, porch or next to an external wall. If they stay cold naturally they won’t use as much electricity.
9. Use candles
Candles are really cheap to buy and they can make a home look cosy and romantic during the evening hours. Obviously candles aren’t suitable for use all the time but if a few candles can mean no light bulb usage for an evening or two each week you’ll soon see the savings pile up.
10. Visit friends and family
If all else fails, visit lots of friends and family members during the evenings! Use their gas and electricity rather than yours. If you rotate who you visit on a weekly basis it could be several months before they realise what you’re doing, by which time you’ll have saved enough on your energy bills to return to normal.
And there you have it…10 ways to save energy at home.
Image Credit: By Jürgen from Sandesneben, Germany (Flickr) CC-BY-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons