How to save energy

There are several different ways you can reduce your domestic energy usage. By improving your home’s energy efficiency, you can help to lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

When you are not using your lights, it is a good idea to switch them off. To ensure you get into the habit of doing this, every time you leave a room, you should make a point of turning any lights off. Just switching a light off for a few seconds, will allow you to save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again.

You can save yourself a chunk of money each year by turning your appliances off standby mode. Pretty much all electrical and electronic appliances can be turned off at the plug, without disrupting their programming. To make this process more efficient, you can use a standby saver, which allows you to turn off all your appliances in one go. Although, if you have appliances, you are unsure about, it is worth checking the instructions before switching them off.

Unless you have recently moved into a newly built house, then you will likely lose heat through draughts around doors and windows, as well through the floor or chimney. While there will be the initial cost of professional draught-proofing to contest with, you will be able to save money in the long run.

Over half the amount of money spent on fuel bills, goes towards providing hot water and heating for your home. Therefore, installing a room thermostat, a programmer and thermostatic radiator valves, gives you a heightened sense of control. By optimising your heating settings, you will improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Additionally, no matter the age of your boiler, the right controls will enable you to set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them. You will also be able to heat the specific areas of your home that need heating, to your desired temperature.

Due to continuous developments in technology, you can now control your heating and understand your energy using smart heating controls. With smart technology, you can control your heating remotely, through an app on your smartphone. This means you can manage the temperature of your home, from anywhere in the world at any time.

By making homeowners more aware of their energy usage, a smart meter can help households to save energy and reduce the amount wasted.

Two appliances that take up considerable energy in the home are dryers and refrigerators. Replacing your old appliances, with modern, efficient models, can reduce your electricity usage, in turn lowering your bills.

Even spending less time in the shower each day can help you to save a small amount of money over the course of a year. Also, if you have a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank, you can install an efficient shower head. This will reduce your hot water usage while retaining the same sensation as a power shower.