Given the Cost of Living Crisis Why Not Save Energy, Save Yourself Money and Help The Environment To Boot!
Every year, January to March are traditionally tough months for most folk cash-flow wise, given they follow on from all the credit card bills appearing from expenditure on presents plus Christmas and New Year festivities, on top of the much higher cost of heating bills during the Winter months. January to March can therefore be the time when tricky household financial decisions need to be made when it comes to energy bills, with many people throughout the England having to make difficult choices about whether they can afford to constantly heat their homes during the cold months. Furthermore, energy prices are not set to reduce anytime soon. Then at the start of April 2023 we all get hit by higher Council Tax bills and the first payment on our Water Rates are due too!
What follows are hopefully some helpful and practical ways for you to reduce your bills and save energy.
Set your heating and/or hot water to come on only when required by using the timer on or gas or electric heating and/or hot water system (assuming there is one!).
Did you know if you turn down your main thermostat by one degree, you can save about around 10% on your energy bill, while still making sure your home is sufficiently warm enough during cold periods.
If you have not got one, do install a room thermostat, a programmer and thermostatic radiator valves, as using these controls efficiently could save you in the region of £75 a year.
Insulate your loft and wall cavities using whatever Government grants and offers you can benefit from or via energy suppliers who have contractually agreed with the authorities to help reduce carbon emissions and assist their customers by subsidising carbon emission reduction and energy saving projects like insulation, air heat source pumps, solar power and wind turbines.
Make sure you turn your lights off when you’re not using them. If you switch a light off even for short periods, you will save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again. This will save you around £14 a year on your annual energy bills. Replace your bulbs as and when you can with energy efficient modern LED’s – on average changing all your light bulbs could save around £35 a year on bills.
Check if you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount. Energy suppliers can provide rebates to households on certain benefits.
Your energy supplier should be able to tell you what help may be available through the Energy Company Obligation. If you need a little extra help from your energy company - including large print bills or more support during a power cut - you can apply to be included on your electricity network priority services register.
Use a bowl to wash-up rather than constantly running a tap, plus reduce your washing machine use by one cycle a week, and only fill the kettle with the water you need which could save you about £36 a year. Plus washing clothes in your washing machine at 10 degrees lower temperature every time you use it can save you up to £40 a year.
Save up to £70 a year by using your tumble dryer less frequently by ensuring you have a full load, around three-quarters of the drum. Why not use a clothes airer to dry clothes outside, or inside with a window open for ventilation. You should always try and avoid overfilling your dryer as this could lengthen the drying time.
Spend 1 minute less in the shower each day and a family of 4 could save £75 a year on energy and water bills.
A dripping tap can waste more than 5,300 litres of water a year, so make sure your taps are properly turned off and change washers promptly as and when taps start to drip.
A running tap wastes more than 6 litres of water every minute, so turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face.
Replacing an inefficient shower head with a water efficient one could save a household of 4 people around £70 a year off gas bills and around £115 a year off water bills.
Fully turning off your appliances rather than keeping them in standby mode can save you £30 a year, plus don’t leave laptops, shavers, mobile phones and other rechargeable devices on charge unnecessarily.
By draught-proofing your windows and doors, plus also blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can save around £20 a year on energy bills.
Once its dark close all your curtains and blinds to stop heat escaping through the windows and doors.
There are things you can do immediately to plug in gaps in your home and hold on to your warmth. You can draught proof any gaps in your home, whether it is gaps in floor boards or under skirting boards or keyholes, cavities near doors, letterplates and windows or gaps around electrical outlets and pipes.
If you plan to stay in the property you own, invest in it and improve your living environment by replacing any single glazed windows with A+ Energy Rated double glazed aluminium or UPVC windows (the latter being less expensive, but with slightly more chunky frames). Although please note that since 15th June 2022 all new and replacement windows and/or doors must now have trickle vents fitted as a requirement under the England and Wales Building Regulations, and even when in closed position they do what it says on the tin and allow a trickle of air.
Why not use make a list of what you can do as a tenant or owner to save both Energy and Money at the same time?