Top Tips For Reducing Your Energy Bills And Saving Money
Saving money is one of the best feelings and it doesn’t really matter how you go about doing it. The better tip here is that you need to do something. There are so many ways to save on your energy bills and many don’t require sacrifices or drastic lifestyle changes. You can still live the same life while reducing your spending habits and avoiding drastic changes. Check out these tips to get started.
Use Blinds And Curtains
If you want to save money and reduce heating bills, consider some simple changes. If you live in a draughty building, shading the windows with blinds or curtains will keep the heat energy in and the cold drafts out.
Shading your home’s windows is an inexpensive way to cut costs on your energy bill. Window shades will keep the heat energy in and the cold drafts of air out.
You can manually roll down your curtains or you can use a shade-mounted crank or cord to raise and lower the blinds. Another benefit of using insulated shades for the windows of your home is that it will take less time for them to warm up in the colder weather.
If you live in a draughty building, then the best place you can start on a path to reduce your energy bill is by controlling the flow of outside air into your home. In other words, make sure that your windows and doors aren’t providing a free passageway for the elements.
Seal Your Windows, Doors And Letterboxes
If you’re trying to reduce your energy bills, there are several things you can do. One of the easiest and most effective ways to save money on your electricity bill is to seal up any gaps in your home that allow air to leak through.
The more air leaks into your home, the more energy it takes to heat or cool it. And if you live in an older home with drafty windows, doors, and letterboxes, then sealing them up will help you save on heating and cooling costs.
If your windows have cracked seals or loose frames, they might not let in much air. But they will let out a lot of heat during the winter months. To stop this from happening, check the seals around all windows on an annual basis.
Use silicon caulk or another appropriate sealant to fill any gaps around frames.
Doors are another place where air leaks through — especially older ones with loose weatherstripping around their tops and bottoms. Replace old weatherstripping with new foam strips that are designed for use with doors.
Air leaks are one of the biggest contributors to high energy bills because they cause your heating system or air conditioner to work harder than necessary.
These leaks can be caused by anything from cracks in windows and doors to gaps around pipes and wires. It’s important to check all possible sources of these leaks before sealing them up with weatherstripping tape or caulk.
This will help prevent unnecessary loss of heat through these openings during wintertime and help lower your heating bill costs significantly over time.
Don’t Overfill The Kettle
If you’re anything like me, you probably like a nice hot cup of tea when relaxing after a hard day at work. Tea can be extremely warming and comforting, but there’s one thing you should never do when preparing your tea: don’t overfill your kettle.
Did you know that if you leave the lid of your kettle open while it’s heating, it could be wasting as much energy as leaving a light bulb on?
I’ve always been bad at not overfilling the kettle! When I get up in the morning and make a cup of tea, I fill the kettle with as much water as it can take. But then, I end up boiling more than I need and wasting energy.
Whenever someone tells me they do this too, we always say out loud how we read somewhere how energy-saving it is to only fill your kettle halfway. Just boil enough water for the number of cups you want to make.
Switch To Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Every time I turn on any of my lights, which is a lot, I think about how much it costs to power those lights and wish there was a cheaper alternative. Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs is one way to reduce the cost of operating your home and cut down your electricity bills.
Saving money on your electricity bills is a great way to improve your financial standing. But you may not realise that there are many ways to save money on your electric bill.
Energy efficient bulbs use up to 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. They also last longer and may save you hundreds over the lifetime of each bulb.
Turn off lights when they aren’t needed. This can be as simple as turning off lights when you leave a room, or it can require turning off the television and computer when not in use. Even if you don’t think it makes much difference, those small changes add up quickly over time!
But one of the easiest ways to cut down on your energy usage is by switching out your old light bulbs for CFLs or LED bulbs. They do use a lot less electricity than standard incandescent bulbs, and they last much longer also.
Turn Off Devices At The Wall
Like most people, you probably leave appliances like TVs and computers on standby when you’re not using them. That’s because it requires effort to turn everything off at the wall outlet.
But did you know that leaving such devices plugged in can cost you a pretty penny every month? In fact, turning off appliances at the wall as much as possible can reduce your total energy bill by more than 10%.
Can you imagine how much money you would save if you could cut down your energy bill by even 10%? And it’s good for the environment.
When it comes to saving money with electricity use, turning off devices such as computers, printers and televisions when they’re not being used can help significantly.
Not only does this save money on wasted electricity but it also reduces wear and tear on electrical components which can lead to breakdowns later down the line.
Like turning off devices at the wall, unplugging appliances when they’re not being used will help save both money and energy.
Use Cold Water For Washing Clothes
Always check the garment label to ensure that it is safe to do so.
Cold water is better for your clothes and your washing machine. Cold water also uses less energy and helps save money.
You can wash most clothes in cold or warm water, but it’s best to check the care label first. If the label says “warm” or “hot,” use warm or hot water according to the instructions on the label.
Warm or hot water may be needed if you’re washing heavily soiled garments or clothes with stains, such as blood or grass stains.
Cold water can be used safely on most of your clothing including cotton, wool, silk and synthetic blends (polyester). There are a few exceptions:
Dry clean only garments should not be washed in cold water because they could shrink or become damaged by exposure to soap solutions. Check the label on each piece of dry clean only clothing before washing it to make sure that it is safe for cold washing.
Delicate fabrics such as lace trimming, lace collars, eyelet holes and ruffles can be damaged by even a short stay in hot or warm water temperatures. These items should be cleaned according to the instructions.
Put Your Fridge In The Right Place
There are a lot of things that can cause your energy bills to increase. If you want to save money you need to find ways to reduce the amount of energy you use.
One of the best ways to reduce your energy bills is to put your fridge in the right place. It’s tempting to put it in an area where it’s easy to reach and grab a snack or a drink, but this isn’t always the best place for it.
Put it in an unheated room – The ideal temperature for keeping food safe is below 40°F. It’s also a good idea to keep it away from direct sunlight and heat sources such as stoves and ovens, which can cause your fridge to work harder than necessary.
Keep it away from windows – You don’t want sunlight shining on your fridge because this will make it work harder than necessary while trying to cool down your food inside.
If sunlight hits your refrigerator directly, then it might have difficulty cooling down properly. This means that you’ll need an extra boost when you open the door — which wastes even more energy than normal!
Refrigerators and freezers are the two most expensive items in your kitchen, and they can use up to a third of your energy bill. The best way to save money on your electric bill is to make sure you’re using them properly.
Avoid Standby Mode
Standby mode is a state of energy consumption in which a device is not actively being used but remains on. This is the most common mode of operation for computers, televisions, and other electronic equipment.
You can save money by avoiding standby mode if you’re using your electronic device to play music, watch movies or perform other tasks that require active use.
Many TVs and other electronics have a “standby” mode, which means they’re still on but not actively being used. This can be especially wasteful because it uses a lot of power just to keep the device on and ready for action. Instead, turn off all such devices when you’re done with them.
Some devices have an option to turn off the standby feature and shut down completely when they’re not being used. If your device doesn’t have this feature, you can purchase an energy-saving power strip that will automatically turn off all devices connected to it when they’re not in use.
Unfortunately for many people, “dumb” appliances such as lights and heaters are often left on all day long without anyone even knowing it!
Have Showers Rather Than Baths
It’s a luxury we all take for granted. We just turn on the tap, and out comes hot water. But it’s not that simple.
Having baths uses more water, therefore more energy to heat the water. Rather than having baths, try taking shorter showers. This can really make a difference to your energy bill and help you to save money.
If you have a shower, make sure you use a low-flow showerhead. They are available at most hardware stores and are easy to install yourself.
You will see an immediate reduction in your water usage and an improvement in your water pressure as well. If you want to go even further, consider installing a solar-powered water heater.
These can heat up your water for free by collecting sunlight during the day and storing it in tanks for later use at night when electricity costs more than at other times of the day.
Get Yourself A Smart Thermostat
When it comes to smart home technologies, most people think of things like security systems or video monitoring. But a smart thermostat is the best way to start cutting your energy bill and reducing your carbon footprint.
A smart thermostat is a wireless thermostat that can be controlled remotely from a smartphone app. That means you can change the temperature before you get home from work, or even on the other side of the world if you’re travelling for work.
And since most of these thermostats use geofencing technology, they’ll automatically adjust the temperature when you leave your home and return at night.
A few years ago, installing a smart thermostat would have required hiring an HVAC technician or doing some electrical work yourself. Today, there are several models available that are easy enough for anyone to install without professional help — usually within just a few minutes.
There are many popular models on the market today, with millions of units being sold worldwide.
Modern units have an intuitive interface that learns your habits over time. They can automatically adjust themselves based on when you’re away from home and when you’re using energy-intensive appliances like heating or cooling systems.
You can save money on your energy bills with some simple planning and a few changes.
The first step to saving money on your energy bills is to identify where you’re spending the most. Check your utility bill and see how much you’re spending on electricity, gas, and water.
You can use this information as a baseline for making changes to reduce your energy consumption.
Keep appliances tuned up. If you have an older refrigerator or freezer, consider replacing it with a newer model that uses less energy. Many newer models also come with an auto defrost feature that cuts down on maintenance time, which saves you money in the long run.
Use less energy. If you’re not using it, turn it off! Turn off lights, unplug electronics, and consider solar power or other clean energy sources for your home.
Turn down the temperature on your water heater. This can lower your heating bill by 10%. Turn the heat down or off at night when no one needs hot water. Check that all faucets are turned off when not in use and fix any leaks right away.
You may be able to take advantage of lower electricity prices during off-peak hours. Find out when those are and plan to do your laundry or run the dishwasher then.
Conclusion
From deciding which appliance you can turn off to choosing energy-efficient light bulbs, we give you tips on how to save money and reduce energy bills.
There are many ways you can cut your electricity usage, from small changes like paying attention to how much energy you’re using, to larger-scale modifications such as investing in solar panels.
In the end, though, where you can really save a lot of money is by putting some effort into making the changes. You’ll slowly learn how to better utilise energy-saving tips over time and the amount you save each year will grow.
It’s pretty easy to save money on your energy bills. All you need is a little bit of planning and some small changes to the way you use your appliances.
You might be surprised how much you can save by making some simple swaps around the house.