As energy costs hit record highs in the past few months, suppliers in the energy market have raised prices. If you want to reduce your costs as much as possible, here are seven ways to save energy this winter.
If you haven't installed it yet, getting a free smart meter from an energy provider is a useful way to ensure that your bill is always accurate, not an estimate. Your home monitor will make it easier for you to track your daily expenses-and it will also allow you to set a budget.
Heating control devices such as timers, thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) can help you ensure that no heat is wasted. For example, installing TRV on each radiator means you can control each radiator individually and set them up only in the rooms you use most often.
A timer and thermostat will help ensure that your heating can automatically keep your home at a comfortable temperature (usually 18-22 degrees for healthy adults). Upgrading to a smart thermostat will give you more control, for example, you can easily turn off the heating when you are out.
When we turn on the heating, about a quarter of the energy will escape through the roof, and a third will pass through the gaps around the walls, doors and windows. Attic and wall insulation is the most important thing to keep heat. Faster repairs include using thick insulating curtains and closing them as soon as the sun goes down. You can also use a puller to block gaps around doors and windows.
In a typical household, hot water accounts for more than 10% of the energy bill. This means that saving hot water is not only good for the planet, but also good for your bills.
The Energy Conservation Trust estimates that depending on whether you are using a standard shower or a power shower, an 8-minute shower will cost between 11 pence and 20 pence. For a family of four, this adds up to several hundred pounds a year. Reduce your shower time by a minute or two, and you can reduce your bill by as much as £10 per person per year.
For more environmentally friendly hot water heating, you can consider investing in solar thermal panels. Or, if you have solar panels, explore to obtain a booster system that transfers unused electricity to the water tank for heating.
You can save more than just heating. You can also reduce power consumption in the following ways:
In 2020, more than 46% of the UK workforce will work from home at least some time. Many people still do not return to the office five days a week.
Check out our tips on working from home to learn about quick and easy ways to save energy during the workday-from placing your desk in a place with plenty of natural light, to making a thermos to reduce repetitive kettle boiling. You can also find out if you are eligible for tax relief to get some financial support from your energy bill.
If you want to make your home greener and more energy efficient in the future, you can make many bigger changes. Even if they spend money up front, they will pay for themselves in the long term by reducing energy costs and help you become more self-sufficient.
A good starting point is attic and hollow wall insulation, which can save you about £200 in heating bills. Find out if you are eligible for any household energy subsidies to support expenses. Once your house is well insulated, you can consider using low-carbon heating, such as a heat pump. If you have a ground source heat pump or an air source heat pump, you may be eligible for quarterly renewable thermal incentive payments to help cover expenses. The program will approach new applicants in March 2022, so if you have a heat pump installed, please apply as soon as possible.
If you find it difficult to afford energy, please contact your energy supplier, as they may help develop a payment plan. You can also get independent advice on energy bills from Citizens Advice.
Good Energy Group plc published this content on December 3, 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained in it. Distributed by the public at 14:51:00 UTC on December 3, 2021, without editing and without modification.