Energy Efficiency: Top Tips

If you feel like you’re throwing money down the drain on your energy bills, there are a number to prevent a hefty bill landing on your doorstep. From turning down the thermostat on your heating to turning off appliances instead of leaving them on standby this can make a noticeable effect on the size of your bill.

Energy saving tips:

Ensuring you have good insulation is essential to how much heat is escaping as well as the amount of cold air that is getting in. By sealing all gaps that cause these draughts around windows and doors it will limit the loss of heat and prevent you feeling any unwelcome draughts.

People sometimes forget about the gaps in the floorboards and skirting that might be adding to the insulation issue. So by checking all floorboards are tightly fixed together and all gaps are filled in will prevent heat loss and add to the money saving tips.

If you only use your dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load means you do less washes, resulting in saving energy. This may mean you will have to wait a while longer for your clothes but if it saves you money in the long run it’s definitely worth the additional time.

Most of us know that putting our clothes onto a 40 degree wash is the usual protocol but by switching to a 30 degree wash you are reducing electricity consumption by around 41%. Retail giant Marks & Spencer have joined Asda in recommending that the majority of garments they sell should be washed at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees. So change the temperature you wash your clothes on, which will change the amount you pay on bills.

Simple things such as closing your curtains as soon as it gets dark will ensure you keep the heat in and prevent it from escaping out the small gaps in the windows that can’t be seen buy the naked eye. Also turning your heating down a couple of degrees with mean you are using less electricity without you even noticing the difference.

We all love a good soak in a bath but limiting the number of baths you have and opting for a shower instead will significantly lower your bills, however you can still enjoy a relaxing soak once every now and then. Also preparing food by hand instead of using electrical appliances like blenders and processors will cut down the electrical usage noticeably, even if you aren’t a cooking enthusiast and don’t spend that much time in the kitchen - every little helps.

Energy saving gadgets:

Every heard of a ‘standby saver’? Well all you need to do is plug all your electrical appliances into a standby saver, which automatically switches off appliances if they have been left on, this also saves you time and energy as you won’t have to remember to do it yourself.

Another handy gadget is the ‘OWL electricity monitor’, which monitors your homes electricity usage on a 24/7 basis. It provides real-time information on the cost of your electricity and CO2 emissions. This device shows you where you’re wasting electricity or over using so you can make efficient changes.

Very few consumers are actually paying the lowest price for their energy - just half of all households have ever switched suppliers. The good news is that you could save up to £425 a year by switching energy suppliers, especially if you've never switched before. The important thing is to compare prices across all energy plans before switching and finding the right deal for you.