How to reduce your home energy usage

You don’t necessarily need advanced heating technology to save money on your energy bills. Instead, what you can do is, make some changes to your energy usage habits. You can go about doing this by, simply using less energy, upgrading to more efficient appliances and retaining heat inside your home for longer.

There are many ways that you can reduce your household energy usage. For a start, tumble dryers are well known for the amount of energy they use up. Therefore, only tumble drying your clothes on rainy days, is a sure-fire way to reduce your energy usage.  

Another simple way to save energy, is to make a point of switching the lights off when you leave a room. This is important because light bulbs burn through a lot of energy when they’re left on. You can also switch to modern, energy saving light bulbs, which are extremely efficient and can save you money. This change is something you can replicate with your electrical appliances like tumble dryers, washing machines and kettles.  

Installing thermostatic radiator valves can help you to regulate the temperature of each room effectively. Not only are they cheap to buy, but they are also relatively easy to install.  

Not only do you need to keep an eye on your energy usage to save money, but your water usage as well. While it might seem harmless to leave the tap running when you’re brushing your teeth, the amount of water wasted will add up over time. Of course, showers save far more water than baths. To improve the process even further, you can purchase an efficient shower head.  

Washing machines work with both electricity and water. On top of using an efficient model, you should ensure you’re using eco mode. Additionally, it’s important that you always load the washing machine to its full capacity, to avoid wasting water. Dishwashers should be treated in a similar manner to washing machines, ensuring that they are set to eco mode and fully loaded.  

You can save money on your bills, even without changing your energy usage habits. You can do this by, transitioning to a new energy provider. Although, before you do this, it’s important to compare the different rates on offer.  

If you have some money aside and are interested in renewable energy systems, solar panels can prove to be a reliable investment. Solar panels generate the most electricity during periods of intense sunlight, although they still work in cloudy conditions.  

When considering the cost of solar panels, draught excluders are at the other end of the spectrum. Draught excluders can be applied to doors and windows, and are a cost-effective way of retaining heat in rooms. As well as draught excluders, loft or roof insulation and cavity or solid wall insulation, can also be beneficial. Essentially, these are ways in which you can reduce your energy usage, in turn saving you money.