It’s that time of year again when we all begin to wonder what you can do to reduce your energy bills. We are probably all too familiar with the dread of paying sky-high bills, that feeling as you worry whether or not your money is going to stretch until the end of the month.
Perhaps you begin regretting that light you left on all night or that practically overflowing bath you took the other week when your energy bills come piling in and as usual, they are nothing short of extortionate.
You may have tried every trick in the book to try and get those pesky bills down but every month you seem to find yourself in the same predicament. Here are 11 things you can do to reduce your energy bills to help save a little extra each month.
11 ways to reduce your energy bills
Switch off standby
It may seem trivial, but switching your appliances off standby can have a significant effect and can help to reduce your energy bills. You might turn your TV off with the remote after a Netflix marathon, but making the effort to turn it off altogether at the wall has been estimated by experts to save you around £30 a year! If you can’t remember to do it, or the family constantly leave it on – a quick sticky note on the socket should do the trick!
Change your lightbulbs
When it comes to bills, lighting is a big drainer for everyone. If you are still using regular, halogen lightbulbs, not only are you compromising on quality, you are also paying more than necessary when it comes to your electricity bills because they tend to use a lot more energy than their clever LED alternatives. Other advantages include LED bulbs and LED panels have around 30, 000 hours power time, so your days of risking life and limb changing popped light bulbs have finally come to an end!
Be water savvy!
If you’re on a water meter, you will know that using less water definitely saves you money. Ok so I’m not talking timing our showers or even skipping bath time but just little things like filling the sink with water instead of constantly running the tap when doing your dishes is estimated to save you around £7 a year.
Switch your provider
I know what you’re thinking, switching providers is a lot of hassle and how do you even know you’re going to end up saving money? Studies have shown that home and business owners have ended up saving hundreds a year, just by switching their providers. If you sit down and really assess how much you are paying, you may find you are over paying in certain areas, or worse still, your readings are estimated and you are being billed for energy you haven’t even used. Taking an afternoon to scope out other options and looking for the cheapest fixed deal available is definitely worth it and reading your meter regularly is also a big yes!
Get a smart thermostat
A smart thermostat allows you to create automatic and programmable temperature settings based on daily schedules, weather conditions, and heating and cooling needs. With a smart thermostat, you can make the most of your heating system and reduce your energy bills in one fell swoop.
Buy energy efficient appliances
Energy efficient appliances such as an energy efficient boiler are a no brainer because not only do they help you save money and energy but they also help protect the environment by helping you to reduce your carbon footprint. Check out this useful guide to choosing energy efficient applicances to make better choice when purchasing appliances.
Update your boiler
It’s true that the initial cost of a new boiler can be quite a sting, but that said, upgrading your old boiler to a new A-rated condensing boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls can help reduce your energy bills. Upgrading to a new modern combi boiler is likely to save you between 20-35% on your gas bills.
Skip the hot wash
Next time you put a load on in the washing machine, ask yourself if it really needs to be on that 40 degree wash. Why?Washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees can help reduce your energy bills. By putting on one less load a week you will also save energy and money. So buy a colour catcher and put on all those whites and colours together!
Get online
If you haven’t already, it is time to move into the 21st century and stop paying your energy bills by cheque or cash. Most energy providers reserve the best deals for their online customers and they often ‘reward’ users for going paperless – plus it’s a big help to the environment. Paying monthly by direct debit can see you make huge savings which will make a big yearly difference. Pay online and save for that holiday? Sounds good to me!
Get on top of those drafts
There is nothing worse than a cold draft to kill the warmth in your house and make you feel like putting the heating on when you could probably avoid it by putting a stop to your drafts. Seal up any cracks in skirting boards, flooring, around windows and doors etc, put a draft curtain in front of your front door, install a letterbox draught excluder, draftproof your loft and if you haven’t already, invest in double glazing.
Throw on a jumper
Ah the age old ‘just put on a jumper trick’. Whilst it’s understandable you don’t want to have to walk around with tonnes of layers on in your own home, do you really need the heating as high as you have it? Fleecy pyjamas in the winter time are super soft and cosy, and great at keeping you warm so you can turn down that thermostat! Not a fan of wrapping up? Why not buy a hot water bottle – they stay hot for hours, and are super cheap! Put one in your bed before you get in it and you’ll never look back.
I’ve also discovered the Cozi Hoodie recently which is essentially the love child of a hoodie and sherpa fleece-lined blanket. It is ridiculously cosy and comfy and has become my go-to throw on when I start feeling chilly round the house. I woudln’t be without it now.
Get a Smart Meter
If you really want to reduce your energy bills, then get a Smart Meter. The best way to keep on top of your energy usage is by keeping an eye on it real time. Remember knowledge is power and so with accurate and real time information you will be able to make the necessary tweaks as you go along.
Looking for other ways to save money? Then why not check out some more frugal tips here.
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We’ve recently changed all the light bulbs in the house to LED once and our bill actually turned out be lower than usual! It’s still pretty high, but we live in San Francisco and can’t really sacrifice our AC, which eats most of our money 🙁
Nice tips! But Our AC cost us whatever we save! Is there any way to save energy from AC!
[…] so having good loft and wall cavity insulation could do wonders for keeping the house warm and saving energy. Have a look into the various government grants and schemes that subsidise insulation […]
That’s actually a challenging debate whether it’s more energy efficient to use online docs instead of paper ones. Someone argued that it eventually requires more energy to make up for the electricity used (especially if it’s a waste like chatting in social media) than producing paper out of the woods. I prefer electronic options still