When the cost of living is rising, one way we can control our budget is through our energy bills. Energy is set to increase in price over the coming year, and we all need to use gas and electricity in our homes more effectively. Here we offer some hints and tips on practical ways to ensure you are being energy efficient as a household. Some of this advice is simple and can be actioned immediately, and others might require some investment and planning. Remember, as well, that if you have been with the same energy deal for the last 12 months, you should compare deals using an online tool to make sure you aren’t paying too much.
Service your boiler
In terms of energy and heating, your boiler is probably your biggest expense. The easiest way to keep costs low here is to only switch your boiler on sparingly and to effectively use the timer to ensure you are efficient.
However, your boiler must work harder if there are service issues. If there are leaking pipes or blocked filters, then more energy is needed to heat your home. Consequently, investing in an annual service of your boiler will ensure it is efficient each time you switch it on. The cost-saving here extends to the life of your equipment too. A serviced boiler will have a longer life, and you will fact the £2000 cost of replacing the boiler less often.
On a superficial level, bleeding air out of the radiators is a simple maintenance task. When there is air, hot water cannot fill the radiator effectively, and your desired temperature is harder to reach. A simple key can loosen the nut at the side of the radiator and release the air. Have a cup handy, as you want to wait until the water comes out to ensure it is fully bled.
Replace inefficient technology
All energy-consuming products now come with an energy efficiency rating from A*** to G. Anything operating at E, F and G cost you a lot of money to run in your home. Consequently, when changing your washing machine, fridge, and even your vacuum cleaner, you should look to buy the closest one to the A*** standard.
At a time when all companies are feeling the pressure to offer environmentally friendly products, the cost of the more efficient products tends not to be that much higher. Therefore, you can buy efficient items that cost you less to run over their lifetime with some research.
Change your bulbs
Halogen lightbulbs drain a lot of energy, and they also have a much shorter life span than LED bulbs. Therefore, even though the price ticket for halogen seems lower, the cost is actually much higher. The number of bulbs around your home makes it easy to rack up a high level of savings by switching lightbulbs. Each bulb you change will save you a tenner over a year, so it is worth the effort and small investment at the start.
Change mindsets and behaviours
When looking to make a real change to your energy use, there needs to be a family agreement to do this together. We have all got into lazy habits with energy, as it is available at the flick of a switch, and we don’t really give it much thought. However, if we got into a habit of seeing money rack up each time we turned on a light or put the thermostat up a degree, we would likely show more caution.
Therefore, encouraging everyone to switch off the light before leaving the room could be a good start. Setting the thermostat at 20 rather than 21 could save £80 a year, and you wouldn’t feel the difference. Switching TVs off at the wall, and computer monitors, so you are not paying for standby lights is another good discipline.
It is also worth knowing that up to 20% of your energy bill comes from energy phantoms. These are the devices in your home that suck energy even when you think they are off. Flicking the switch on the socket is the only effective way to stop energy from being wasted in this way.
Summary
All these activities are doable and only take a small investment that you probably should be making anyway. What is maybe more challenging is coaxing your family into good habits with energy, but remember, any effort here is going to help your kids in the future manage a home budget too.
Effectively managing energy bills is a feature post
