Have you noticed an enormous difference in your electricity bill? If so, you’ve most likely been affected by the new energy price cap change, resulting in a large increase. Experts have predicted that an average UK home could see prices soar above £3000 at the end of the year.
This means that the need to save money on your bill has never been more important. Use our tips to reduce the amount of energy you use daily; they may seem like small changes, but they’ll add up to big savings if used effectively.
Kitchen Cuts…
The kitchen is usually the room which contains energy-hungry appliances, this makes it a great place to start. These tips will help you manage energy costs in your kitchen:
Save Water.
Water? Thought we were talking about electricity…
Reducing the amount of water you use when cooking or making a cuppa will save you money! Why fill the kettle to the brim when you only use 1/5 of that for your mug?
Likewise, using less water when cooking food will also save you money.
The science behind all this is simple – reducing the amount of water means it’ll reach boiling point faster.
Be a Smarter Chef.
Chopping food, such as vegetables, into smaller chunks will reduce their cooking time. Also, using a lid on your pots when cooking will trap heat inside the pot and cook the food faster.
If you’re using the oven, avoid opening the door repeatedly, as this results in heat loss.
Dishwa.. Handwasher!
Dishwashers run for the same amount of time regardless of the amount inside, wait until it’s completely full to turn it on.
When you do decide it’s time, put it on the economy setting. Bigger items such as trays and pots might be better washed by hand so you can fit more inside the dishwasher.
Cutting the use of your dishwasher by one cycle a week could save you an average of £14 a year!
Be Wise With Your Washing.
The process of cleaning your clothes is a big energy consumer! Cut the costs by…
- Only use the washing machine for full loads.
- Use economy settings.
- Dry your clothes on a line or rack!
Tumble Dryers are the biggest users of energy compared to any other appliance in an average home. Using one 3x a week uses an average of £223 a year!
- Only iron the clothes that need it! Nobody will see the creases in your bedsheets or towels (apart from you).
Lights Off.
This seems like an obvious solution, but it makes such a difference. Have a look at every light bulb in your house, including downlights, and check if they’re halogen (you can usually tell by the yellow-ish light they give off, although warmer LED lights also give off this effect). Consider replacing all the halogen bulbs with LED, they’re much more energy efficient and use roughly 80% less energy.
Standby for an Increase!
We’re sure you’ve heard it before but appliances on standby use power. Luckily, most new appliances can be switched off at the wall without messing up any settings etc. although we recommend checking the instructions beforehand. TVs on standby can use £24 a year, and a Sky media box can also use £23 a year.
Consider unplugging devices that are fully charged, overcharging them is wasting electricity – newer iPhones have a trickle charge mode which means it’s not sat at 100% on charge overnight.
To Summarise
Everyone In the UK will be affected by these price rises in one way or another. Changing your habits at home, even if they seem small and pointless, will make a difference over the year. Habits like unplugging devices that don’t need to be on standby, being more controlling in the way we cook and wash clothes and turning off lights when we are out of the room can potentially save hundreds of pounds a year.
Get in touch with us today if you’re considering changing your halogen downlights to LED, or try our virtual quote service!
