Keeping household spending in check isn’t always easy, and one of your major expenses is likely to be your energy bills. But by making a few relatively simple changes, you should be able to bring these costs down. Here are four suggestions to get you started.
- Switch appliances off at the plug
From your TV and laptop to your washing machine and tumble dryer, the appliances around your home can use a lot of electricity. For example, according to a new infographic from utilities experts Utility Bidder, an average desktop computer uses around 100 watts of energy, while a laptop uses approximately 50 watts and a broadband router uses around 10 watts. It’s important to realise that appliances still use some energy when they are on standby, and so if you don’t make the effort to switch your tech off when you’re not using it, this could be hitting you in the pocket.
Almost all home electricals can be turned off at the plug without this affecting their programming, and it pays to get into a routine of doing this. If you’re not sure whether it’s advisable to do this with certain appliances, check the instruction manuals.
- Choose energy-saving lights
Did you know that lighting accounts for around 15 per cent of the electricity bill in an average household? This is according to the Energy Saving Trust, which recommends switching from traditional bulbs to LEDs. Now available in a range of shapes and sizes to suit virtually all fittings, LEDs are bright enough to replace halogens and are a particularly good option if you’re looking to substitute dimmable lights or spotlights.
- Improve your heating controls
Enhancing the controls for your central heating system can make a huge difference to the amount of money you spend keeping your home warm during winter. For example, you might benefit from installing programmers, room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves. It’s also worth thinking about fitting a smart thermostat that gives you even greater control. Simply turning your thermostat down by one degree could save you a lot of money too – and chances are, you won’t even notice the temperature difference.
So that your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cosy, think about improving insulation and draught-proofing around your home too. Small changes, like hanging thermal curtains or blinds or placing draught excluders underneath doors, could help with this.
- Invest in efficient tech
When you’ve replacing appliances in your home, whether it’s something major like your boiler or a much smaller item, like a toaster or kettle, make sure you pick out models with an impressive energy efficiency rating. The savings you make by choosing efficient tech might not seem much to begin with, but they can really mount up over time.
Taking tips like these on board will not only make your home cheaper to run, it can also help you to cut your carbon footprint – so what are you waiting for?
