Money-saving tips to help reduce your energy bills
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Though many people are in holiday mode right now and enjoying the summer months, it won’t be long until the season draws to a close and the colder, darker autumn months approach. It’s important, therefore, to start budgeting for higher energy bills to keep your home warm and safe.
Here, our energy advice service team tells you more about how you might prepare…
Please, don’t try to reduce your winter energy bills by completely turning off your heating and hot water, as this is unsafe – most adults require a room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (22 degrees Celsius for those with vulnerabilities) to remain healthy, and long-term exposure to cold temperatures can have very serious consequences on our health.
Instead, why not try to reduce your winter energy bills by implementing these five money-saving measures into your everyday life?
Draught-proof gaps in your home:
Draughty gaps around your doors, windows, and skirting boards allow warm air to escape from your home and cold air to enter. According to Energy Saving Trust, installing draught excluders in these areas could save you around £90 per year.
We’re funded to give out a limited amount of draught excluders. For more information give us a call or come to one of our drop-ins. You can click here for more details of how to get in touch.
Wash your clothes at lower temperatures:
Using a washing machine and tumble drier to do laundry can be expensive, especially for families.
This winter, try washing your clothes on a shorter cycle, at a cooler temperature of 20 or 30 degrees Celsius.
Avoid washing half loads and make sure the drum is full. According to Energy Saving Trust, this could save you around £27 per year.
Please note: you can also save around £55 per year by drying your clothes on a clothes horse rather than in the tumble drier, according to Energy Saving Trust. However, be careful to properly ventilate the area to avoid condensation damp and mould.
Take a shorter shower:
To save some extra money this winter, try to limit your showers wherever possible to four minutes. According to Energy Saving Trust, this could save you up to £65 per year.
Turn your devices off when not in use:
Rather than turning your devices to standby mode when they aren’t being used (especially overnight) try turning them off at the plug. According to Energy Saving Trust, this simple measure could save you around £55 per year.
Turn your boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees Celsius:
You should check your boiler flow temperature, especially if your hot water is running so hot that it scalds your hands.
By turning down your boiler’s flow temperature to 60°C, you could reduce your gas usage by around 9 per cent, according to EDF Energy.
If you are struggling with this, get in contact with one of our energy advisors who can arrange a home visit to help you.
You’d be surprised how much these small changes to everyday life could have a big effect on your energy bills.
