It’s a troubling time for everyone at the moment with bills going up, leaving most of us uncertain about whether our money really is being used in the right ways.
In this list we’ll go through a few ways that the average household could change their ways of living by small amounts which could make a huge difference to our bills in the long run.
Turn Off Unused Lights
As much as we don’t like to admit it, our Mum’s were probably right when they nagged us about leaving the lights on when we weren’t in the room anymore. Let’s finally follow her advice and turn off the lights when we leave the room.
Not only could this save the average household up to £25 a year, but it could also cool your house down, as 90% of the energy that comes from using lights is the heat they give off.
Turn Off Your Appliances Instead of Standby
One of the best things you can do to start saving is to get in the habit of turning your electronics off at the plug instead of leaving them on standby like most do. Pretty much all your electrical appliances can be turned off and on at the plug without doing any damage to their systems. And some of your products could use a lot more energy on standby than you would think.
Turning your tv off at the plug when you’re not using it could save you between £25 and £30 on average, while your tv box could cost you a sum of £26 a year alone.
Your internet router could be costing you up to an extra £19 a year, so you could turn it off before you get into bed or leave the house to counter this.
Games consoles being left on standby may be making up a big chunk of your energy bill, but not all consoles. Studies show that the Xbox Series X could use up to 15 times more energy than the PS5 when left on standby, with a cost of £59 compared to the PlayStation’s £4 a year.
Another big user that you probably wouldn’t expect is your microwave, turning this off at the plug can save you around £16.37 on average.
These small changes could save you a hefty amount on your energy bills when you add them up.
Invest in New Windows
Improving your windows could make a huge difference to your home, so by improving or replacing your windows you could see their efficiency go up.
Single glazed windows are inefficient during the summer and the winter. During the warmer seasons they will let the cool air out of your home, which means you may use more money on cooling your home with fans or air conditioning. While in the winter they let the cold air and moisture in, which means you’ll be using your heating more.
Double glazing your windows will put a stop to both these issues, making your home more weather friendly all year round. You can get your windows looked at and upgraded by searching glazing repairs near me.
Install a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat helps you reduce your heating usage and make it more efficient by learning your usage overtime.
It will only heat the rooms that you’re using, reducing any wasted heat that a regular thermostat wouldn’t. Usually, they are accompanied by an app so you can alter the heating in your home with your smartphone, meaning you won’t have to come home to a cold home anymore.
Be Efficient with Your Appliances
Using your appliances in a cleverer way could see your energy use drop by a fair amount.
By washing your clothes on 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees and dropping down to one or two washes a week by waiting until your machine is full before use, you could save up to £30 a year. Avoiding your tumble dryer and drying your clothes on a rack could save you even more.
Similarly, waiting until your dishwasher is full and reducing your use to one run per week could knock £17 a year off your bill.
Watch Your Energy Usage
A smart meter isn’t for everyone, but by getting one you could better monitor your personal consumption and see where you could better your usage.
You can track your use with up to date, accurate information that will show you exactly what parts of your home are costing you the most, helping you cut down before you pay too much.
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