Practical Electricity-Saving Tips At Home
Finding strategies to reduce energy use at home has never been more important as the impactof rising energy costs continues to put pressure on household budgets. Energy prices have skyrocketed to £3,549 (34p per kWh of electricity and 10.4p per kWh of gas, average). The announcement of a new, revised price cap is now scheduled for January 2023, so it might be a good idea to get into an energy-saving habit now so you’re not wasting energy and throwing money away.
While increased bills play havoc with household expenditure, there are often simple thingsyou can change around the home that can save you hundreds of pounds annually.
“A third of homes have not made any effort to cut their energy use”
Source: Energy Saving Trust
This is the news out of the Energy Saving Trust, which shows that many people are going to be in for a bill shock during the winter and leading into the new year. Everyday activities canhelp us all save energy, money, and the environment, and a few small adjustments can have a significant impact on your bills and your wallet.
Turn your thermostat down
An analysis of data by an online comparison website revealed that one in five homes had their thermostats set to 22°C or higher. They suggest that reducing the temperature in your home by just one degree can save you over £100 a year. In the fight against global warming, the Committee on Climate Change further advises that thermostats be set no higher than 19°C.
Ditch the tumble dryer
A tumble dryer is now a part of approximately 60% of households in the UK, according to National Statistics – that’s more than 14 million households.
Tumble dryers use a lot of electricity, and are often poorly rated machines which use even more energy – the typical cycle of an average machine uses just over 4kWh!
A simple way to save money is to airdry your laundry indoors with a window slightly crackedor alongside a dehumidifier. It can take longer than tumble drying, but it doesn’t cost nearly as much. Putting your clothing on a radiator won’t help as the heat won’t be able to circulate the room and will make your heating system work more to heat the space while causing unwanted condensation and potential mould growth.
Draught-proof your home
According to the Energy Saving Trust, preventing heat from escaping via spaces around doors and windows may help you save about £60 a year in a normal home. Additionally, you can also save an additional £90 a year by draught-proofing an open chimney stack when it’s not in use. (based on a typical, semi-detached household)
Don’t leave appliances on standby
Appliances in standby mode account for between 9 and 16% of the electricity consumed in households. This costs as much as £80 on an average £500 bill. The worst gadgets to put on standby are TVs, games consoles and computers. If you often forget to turn these off, perhaps think about investing in cheap smart plugs that you can automatically set to turn appliances on or off.
Use cheaper night-time tariffs
If your home or property has an electrical immersion heater and you have an Economy 7 or 10 tariff (where energy is cheaper at night), it’s cheaper to heat your water during the night. Make sure your tank is well insulated to prevent it from cooling down too quickly during the day.
Also, check your immersion heater’s temperature – setting the temperature to a lower level but above 55 °C to meet legionella requirements will save you money.
Struggling to pay your energy bills?
If you’ve recently received a demand letter or have been contacted by a debt recovery agency for owed energy debt, we advise calling your energy company or debt agency to negotiate an affordable payment plan. The UK’s big energy firms have now set up schemes to help customers clear their energy debts and make budgeting for their everyday easier.
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