There has never been a better time to save energy and with the rising cost of living, knowing how to reduce your monthly bills is crucial in helping you make savings and reduce your monthly outgoings. Your bills are a primary expense, meaning that you must pay them – so you may as well make a few changes to bring them down, to benefit your bank balance! With simple tricks like turning down your thermostat, and getting rid of drafts, you can save some cash without compromising on warmth. If your bills are taking up most of your income, payday loans UK can help you manage an emergency expense when you need it most. Read on for a few simple hacks to saving on your energy bills!
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Turn down the thermostat
It can be tempting to turn the thermostat up to a high temperature so that it heats your home quickly so you can feel the benefit. However, this can bump up the amount you’re paying on your energy bills. It is said that 18 degrees is a warm enough temperature for healthy adults to live comfortably – and although you may debate this amongst yourselves in your household, turning down your thermostat by just one degree can result in a drop in bills equivalent to £100. So, if you are worried about rising bills, one of the ways you can tackle it is to turn down your heating by just a couple of degrees and wear a warm jumper if you need to!
Eliminate drafts
Unfortunately, heat loss happens in all of our homes, usually through the windows, under doors and even through the roof. When trying to save money on your bills, you must eliminate drafts and keep the heat in. You can buy draft excluders to place under doors so that heat doesn’t escape when your home is at the perfect temperature – this way, your boiler won’t have to work as hard to heat a room. Draught-proofing your home can reduce your energy bills by 2%, so it is worth taking the time to identify where the drafts are coming from and eliminate them, so you can feel the benefit.
Turn appliances off
Leaving your appliances on standby can result in wasted energy – and although in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t amount to much, every little helps! Make sure that you turn your appliances off at the socket, rather than leaving them on standby. Taking the time to turn your TV, games consoles and computers off completely, could save you somewhere between £30-70 a year.
Think about your radiator placement
You may not realise it, but the area where you place your radiator is key to getting the most from your heating! When installing a radiator, make sure it is in an area that is not covered by furniture – covering your radiator with sofas or armchairs means that the heat emitted will not be able to circulate the room as it should, and it will end up being absorbed into the material. Your boiler will have to work harder to heat the room, and therefore you’ll end up using more energy – racking up your energy bills. Make sure that your keep your radiators clear, away from furniture and curtains to that you can feel the most efficient warmth when you need it most.
Quick showers
It’s not just electricity and heating that can have an impact on your energy bills, it’s your water usage too. Cutting the amount of time you spend in the shower by as little as one minute could save you over £200 on your energy bills a year! You can buy a timer, so you know when to get out, or set a timer on your phone. This may seem over the top, but time can soon slip away from you when you are enjoying a nice warm shower, and the energy that you’re using can soon mount up! Aim for around 4 minutes, you never know, less time in the shower may mean less time rushing around in the morning.
