The following guest post is brought to you by USwitch.
Step 1
There are plenty of easy ways to save energy and, consequently, money around the home. Take a quick look around and you should be able to save a lot of money by reducing the amount of energy you use every day.
Step 2
Firstly, take a look at your thermostat. Try reducing the temperature by 1 degree; this can save you money and you will probably notice no difference. Don’t forget your programmer; make sure hot water and heating are coming on just when you need them. Look at the temperature on your hot water cylinder, it needs to be no more than 60 degrees centigrade. Another thing to consider is checking for draughts; close windows and doors and make sure you draw curtains when it gets dark.
Step 3
Lighting is another area to look at. For example, use energy saving light bulbs and remember to turn your lights off when you are leaving a room.
Step 4
Look at all your appliances, if there is anything that needs replacing then you should think about replacing it with the most energy efficient model that you can. There are other simple ways to ensure that your appliances are not wasting money and energy. A good start is making sure that you don’t leave items on standby, or mobile phones on charge at all times. With items like the washing machine and dishwasher, always use them on a full load. Similarly with the tumble dryer – although when the sun is shining you may want to hang your washing outside. The fridge and freezer also work more efficiently when they are full or nearly full and this will help you to reduce the electricity consumption.
If you are looking to save money on your energy costs, then it is important not only to reduce the amount of energy you use but also to look at whether you are with the right supplier, so do compare electricity prices.
Finally, making sure you are on top of routine maintenance issues at home can also help you decrease your energy consumption. Preventing draughts can make your house warmer without the need for increasing your energy bills.Fix dripping taps, as these can be wasting not only water but energy too, if your hot water tap is leaking. You can also look at how well insulated your home is and how you can improve this if possible.
By making a few simple changes you can reduce your energy usage and save yourself money. By comparing energy prices you can be sure you are not paying more than you need for the electricity and gas that you are using. You may want to monitor your energy use before you start making some changes so that you can make an energy comparison afterwards and see how much you are saving.
5 Comments
Good points! I would add using a cold water wash for your laundry. It saves a lot in hot water.
@Krantcents – Great tip. I wash most of our laundry in cold. It does save energy.
There’s a trade off with the appliances. Sometimes you spend more on the energy efficient appliance than you save in energy over the lifetime of the appliance. I say save energy where you can and replace when the appliance dies.
@Matt – That can definitely be true. I think your suggestion is very valid; wait until an old appliance is on its last leg, then purchase an energy saving one. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (too bad Netflix didn’t take this advice. 😉 )
My wife likes to leave the microwave, toaster, blender, and mixer unplugged when we aren’t using them. Many devices pull a small charge when plugged in — even if they’re not working.
Also, if we know we’re going to be away for a few days, just about everything gets unplugged except a few lights.
Computers can be a big drain on power, so turn them off when you’re not using them. (If you have an “always on” internet connection, this can help protect you from “ne’er do wells”, since they can’t hack your computer if it isn’t on.)
On some areas, like in our bedroom, we have plugged the TV and VCR into a power strip that is only turned on when we are watching something.
We recently added a screen door to the back yard. The one we put in also helps keep the right temperature in the house, regardless of what it does outside.
Didn’t meant to ramble on, but just wanted to share a few things we do that have helped!
Just a few tips!