Simple Ways for You to Save on Your Energy Bills

Simple Ways for You to Save on Your Energy Bills

Once upon a time, cutting your energy bills was as simple as switching your tariff to a new energy supplier. The market was a competitive one, and cheap deals were rife. But in the midst of an ongoing energy crisis, there are no competitive alternatives, and the price cap – initially designed to prevent predatory pricing by energy companies – has become the new floor for consumers.

With stratospheric rises in energy costs a guarantee for households across the UK, many are looking for new ways to bring down costs. The following are some quick and simple ways you can do just that, by increasing your home’s efficiency and thinking mindfully about your energy usage.

• No More Standby

It may be that leaving your television or media centres on standby is a small convenience – but appliances on standby can use much more energy than you might at first realise. Indeed, some televisions alone can cost up to 28p per hour to leave on standby, though a much more conservative estimate of £12 a year is given for the average television. This, multiplied across your standby devices then increased again to account for the upcoming spikes in cost, can add up to a pretty penny. As such, make sure all of the devices in your home are powered off completely until you need them.

• Replace Your Boiler

Your boiler is an undeniably integral part of your home, heating your water and your radiators and accounting for a significant majority of your energy bills in a given year. Your existing boiler, especially if old, may be inefficient and costing you more money as a result; shopping around for new and more efficient boilers can save you more money over time, despite the initial up-front cost of purchase and installation.

• Draught-Proof Your Home

Often, it’s the small things that can have the most profound effect. You may find areas of your home are producing a draught, such as your front door, windows and even cracks in your flooring. Draught-proofing can prevent the slow wicking-away of heat in your home, and also increase the perceived temperature of a space – resulting in less expenditure on heating. Draught-proofing can be as simple as laying a draught-excluder across the bottom of your front and internal doors, and as involved as sticking insulation tape to the inside frame of your windows.

• Change Your Habits

Lastly, addressing your relationship with energy usage in your home can produce significant savings. A mindful approach to your appliances and amenities can make for a cheaper day-to-day cost, with appliances like tumble dryers representing an expensive luxury where a drying rack might suffice. Turning lights off when leaving rooms, filling the dishwasher completely before running it, programming your heating to turn on for brief periods when you’re guaranteed to be home – all of these can add up to make a serious change to your energy bill.

Guest Article.