Saving energy is becoming more important due to the current cost of living crisis, with households looking to save as much money on bills as they can. Even if you don’t qualify for schemes such as ECO4, there are still many ways in which you can save money. This post will outline 9 ways you can save money on your energy bills.
1. Turn off lights when not in use
Starting with the basics: turn off the lights when you leave the room. It’s one of the easiest ways you can save money on your energy bills.
Keeping the lights on in empty rooms wastes energy and adds needless expense to your energy bills. The average household can save nearly £20 a year just by turning off the lights when they’re not in use.
2. Turn off electrical appliances at the plug when not in use
Similar to turning the lights off in unoccupied rooms, you can save money on your energy bills by turning off electrical devices at the plug when they are not being used. Examples of this include computers, microwaves and TVs.
This can save you an average of £147 a year and is simple to do; just remember to unplug.
3. Use the washing machine more carefully
Another way to save energy around the house is to use your washing machine more efficiently. This includes doing as much washing in one cycle as possible, as it uses less energy than doing multiple cycles in a shorter space of time.
Doing this can save around £13 a year, depending on the model of washing machine you use and how often you previously used it. You can also save energy by using a 30-degree cycle instead of washing your clothes at a higher temperature.
4. Dry clothes outdoors or on a rack instead of using a tumble dryer
Try drying your clothes outdoors or on a drying rack instead of using a tumble dryer. While this takes longer, it uses no energy at all compared to using a machine. Tumble dryers can also reduce the longevity of your clothes by shrinking them, damaging them and causing the colour to fade.
By not using a tumble dryer you can save more than £200 a year on your energy bills, depending on what type of tumble dryer you use.
5. Use the dishwasher more efficiently
Using your dishwasher only when it is completely full is also a good way of saving energy by the number of cycles per week your dishwasher performs.
It is important to note that using a dishwasher is generally more efficient than washing your dishes by hand, so don’t stop using your dishwasher completely.
6. Take showers instead of baths
Taking showers will save you money when compared to taking baths as it uses far less water, and therefore needs less energy to heat. This adjustment also does not change anything about your lifestyle. It simply requires a bit more discipline.
Heating water for baths and showers makes up roughly 10-20% of a household’s energy bills, so reducing the energy needed will save you a significant amount of money. Shorter showers are also good for your skin, giving them an additional health benefit on top of this.
7. Shut curtains at night to stop heat from escaping
Closing curtains is another very simple way of saving money on your energy bills. Doing so stops heat from escaping during the night, which makes up around 25-30% of the energy used in households.
Using thermal-lined curtains helps people save, on average, £291 a year on their heating bills.
Double-glazed windows are another way you can prevent unnecessary heat loss while providing the added benefit of insulating your home from outside noise. Your windows can also be insulated by plastic lining, which can reduce your energy bills by up to 40%.
8. Insulate your floor
The floor is another part of your home that can be insulated. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as pine slivers, silicone-based fibre and mass filler.
Draught-proofing can potentially save you £60 a year and can be done by a professional or yourself.
9. Keep yourself warm
You can also reduce your energy bills by keeping yourself warm through other methods and therefore reducing the need for you to use costly forms of heating. Wearing warm jumpers, a robe, socks and gloves indoors will greatly reduce costly heating measures.
You can also use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket to keep yourself warm on especially cold days.
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