Be energy efficient and save money this winter
Here are some money saving suggestions that you could do over a week to help save some money this winter. If they work for you, you could adopt them to save money all year long:
Monday: Stop leaving things switched on
Sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? But do you know how many appliances and devices are currently on standby in your home? According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average UK household wastes £30 per year leaving devices on standby. The number one culprit is the TV, with 98% of households in the UK never turning it off at the wall.
Tuesday: Stop overfilling the kettle
Heating is the biggest drain on energy – whether that is heating the water in your boiler, the air in your home, or the water in your kettle. We’re known as tea lovers, drinking 73 billion cups a year on average, but research last year found that we tend to fill our kettles with twice as much water as we need. It might sound minor, but this wastes a huge amount of energy – it is estimated that we boil 70 million litres of water every single day.
Wednesday: Start washing your clothes in cooler temperatures:
90% of the energy a washing machine uses goes towards heating the water, yet modern appliances are designed to wash efficiently at lower temperatures. Washing your clothes at 30 degrees could save you a third of the energy used to wash clothes in hotter water. And of course, wait until you have a full load before you run the machine.
Thursday: Stop overloading your dryer:
Tumble dryers consume a lot of energy so you may be tempted to overfill them, but this will stop them working efficiently. If you need to use a dryer, it’s better to make sure you use the fastest spin on your washing machine (to remove as much water as possible), set it to a cooler temperature and make sure you clean the lint screen between uses. You might want to consider drying some of your clothes on a clothes airer in your house.
Friday: Stop running your dishwasher when it’s not full: If you have a dishwasher, wait until it is full before running it, even if it takes a few days. Your dishes will still get cleaned because these appliances – together with the products we put in them – are especially designed to remove tougher stains. You can also save money by opening the door when it gets to the drying cycle and let the dishes dry naturally.
Saturday: Start replacing your broken bulbs with energy efficient lighting. We’ll need our lights more often as the nights draw in, so why not save money with energy efficient life bulbs? According to Which.com, the running cost per year of a traditional light bulb is £8.42 and it needs to be replaced roughly every 2 years. An LED energy saving bulb lasts up to 25 years, and only costs £1.71 to run per year. This means that you could save up to £180 by switching.
Sunday: Stop heating rooms you’re not using. Heating is the biggest drain on energy. Do you really need to heat your downstairs toilet? Your spare room? Your bedroom at night, when you’re tucked under the covers? Take a critical look at your home to see if you are heating spaces unnecessarily. In the rooms that you do need to keep warm, make sure that you keep the heat in them, by closing doors, closing curtains and using draft excluders.
You may also want to check if you or a relative are eligible for the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment. If you were born on or before 26 September 1955, you could receive between £100 and £300 tax-free to help pay your heating bills. You can find out more information here