There's nothing more irritating than a chilly draught, and it can bring the temperature of your home right down, meaning your heating has to work harder (and your bills go up). Windows and doors are the main danger zones, but you should also keep an eye on the following:
Most of these can be remedied using tried and tested methods yourself, otherwise you can hire a DIY professional. Check out tips from British Gas here
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If you still have a family PC or a desktop computer for personal or work use from home, it may be worth thinking about switching to a portable laptop. Not only are they lightweight and ensure you can work on the move, they can have an effect on your energy consumption too.
The energy benefits are:
You can also tinker with the screen brightness and power management settings to get optimum energy efficiency.
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Do you pop a wash on every time there‘s a set of pjs and a few towels just to empty the laundry basket? If so, you could be wasting a lot of energy, water and money. It makes sense to wait until there is a full load - your washing machine probably uses the same amount of water and electricity no matter how full it is. However, don‘t be tempted to overstuff your machine - you could cause damage and your clothes will not clean efficiently.
If you have a fancier model with an economy setting, why not give that a go? It will use less energy than a standard cycle, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the results.You can also wash most things at 30 degrees. Your average detergents and washing fluids will still be effective at this temperature, and you will save up to £10 a year.
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Most of us wouldn't consider toasters as big energy users, unless you are some kind of toast fanatic. However, with fantastic energy efficient models out there, why not do your bit and save a bit of money in the process? These tend to work by closing over the top of the toaster to trap the heat in. This means you will get toast quicker and therefore using less energy. On the downside, your toast is more likely to burn or not brown properly.
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An energy-efficient boiler will help reduce your bills significantly, as they account for 60% of CO2 use in our homes, according to the Energy Saving Trust. If you've got a boiler that's over 15 years old, it's likely that a new one will help reduce your heating bills. Newer boilers are usually called "condensing boilers". This means that the heat is extracted from flue gases (or exhaust gases) which an older boiler would just waste by releasing into the air. You will have to outlay this initial cost, but your shiny new boiler will use up to 40% less energy and you will be quids in. You may even be entitled to a grant or other financial assistance to help you with the cost, Money Saving Expert can help with this.
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These truly are the future of gas and electricity meters. Fathers everywhere rejoice, constant tracking of your energy usage has arrived! With one of these installed, you will be able to compare current and past usage of energy, be able to do a meter reading at any time and see when you're spending the most money on energy. You can even get models that allow you to remotely control your heating from a mobile app. All of this means you can basically monitor your energy usage much more easily than ever before. And real-time figures mean you can see exactly where your money is going.
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This is a really simple one that can save you a bit of cash on your energy bills. You can no longer buy the older-style inefficient light bulbs, but if you do have some knocking around at home it's worth replacing them. Energy-efficient light bulbs last up to 10 times longer than their older counterparts. Replacing your light bulbs could save around £25 a year on your energy bills. Hardly megabucks, but it all adds up over the years!
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Keep your home as warm (and quiet) as possible by getting double-glazing on your windows. Not only do they look nice but they retain the warmth while keeping the cold out for maximum cosiness. As an added benefit, they also stop the sun fading your home furnishings such as carpets, curtains and upholstery. It's a no-brainer.
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This is just common sense more than anything, but you might be surprised at how many people in your family are guilty of this. When brushing your teeth or washing your face, don't keep the tap running. Doing this wastes a whopping six litres of water a minute. If you have small children, keep an eye on them when it's time to brush their teeth, and think about maybe putting stickers on the bathroom mirror to remind them.
Whilst we are on the subject of taps, if you notice a dripping tap, fix it sooner rather than later. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day!
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There's nothing like a good soak in the bath after a long day, but when you consider the water usage, it might not seem quite as relaxing. The average full bath will use up to 80 litres of water, whereas a 5 minute shower uses only 35 litres. If a family of four people switched from daily baths to showers, the savings would be in excess of £20 a year on gas and £25 on water.
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