11 Ways To Use Less Energy this Season
With electricity and gas costs at an all-time high, a lot of us are understandably worried about our heightening bills, and there’s even talk of them increasing further. Here at Homely, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips to help you save energy this season…
1) Turn off devices – say goodbye to stand-by mode
It’s tempting to leave devices such as your TV, games console, computer, microwave or printer in standby mode. By avoiding turning them off at the switch, it often makes them spring into life a little faster when we need them. However, according to a study by The Energy Saving Trust, between 9% and 16% of power used in the average home is powering a device in standby mode. It’s no surprise, then, that turning devices off at the plug will save a huge amount of energy and money.
2) Block any draughts
Heating your home is undoubtedly one of the biggest energy expenses you’ll face. But it’s extra expensive if the heat you’re generating is able to escape through any pesky cracks or gaps in your windows or doors. That’s why, when you’re looking to cut your energy costs, blocking any draughts is a great place to start. You can find cheap draught excluders in most DIY shops – and caulk or sealant is pretty cheap, too.
3) Only heat the rooms you use
Another great tip to save on your heating bill is to only heat the rooms you most frequently use. For example, if there’s a radiator in the hallway or on the landing, which are spaces you only use to pass from one room to another, close all the doors surrounding them and turn the radiator off. Sure, it’ll be cold for those few seconds that you’re moving between rooms, but it’ll save energy and money!
4) Drop 1 degree
It’s widely estimated that dropping your thermostat by just one degree can save a whopping 10% on the energy used to heat your home.
5) Use the oven window
When checking on food in the oven, many of us pull the door open to take a better look. However, each time we do that, the temperature in the oven plummets, and the appliance has to work harder to reach the desired temperature again. Instead, try to get into the habit of peeking through the window.
6) Switch to LED lights
Lots of us are guilty of keeping lamps or lights on in rooms that we’re not currently in. Needless to say, starting to switch lights off when we leave each room can really add up the savings. But most importantly, if you haven’t yet upgraded your light bulbs to LEDs, then make the move – they use less energy and they last much longer!
7) Use a cooler setting on your washing machine
To help blast germs, lots of us use our washing machines on a fairly high temperature. However, the machine actually does a perfectly good job at 30 degrees. Reducing the temperature can save quite a lot of power over the year.
8) Reduce the amount of washes
When it comes to doing the washing, it’s not just about the temperature, but also the amount of cycles you run each week. Are you using the machine’s maximum capacity each time? If you can build up more laundry over an extra day or two, to make sure you’re not running a half-empty machine, then you’ll dramatically reduce the amount of runs and the power used.
9) Avoid the tumble drier
Another great way of saving power is to give the tumble drier a miss. It might take a little longer to dry, but air-drying your clothes using an indoor airer (in the winter) or a washing line (in the milder months) is a great alternative to running another power-hungry appliance.
10) Shorten your time in the shower
There’s nothing nicer than a nice long shower after a stressful day at work. But if you’re trying to cut back on your energy spend, then the shower is a good place to start. Trying to shorten your shower time to around 5 minutes – just long enough to clean yourself thoroughly.
11) Only boil the amount of water you need
We all love a nice cup of tea or coffee, but often, we over-fill the kettle. This means the appliance has to work harder to reach boiling point, just for that excess water to sit in the kettle and cool down again. Instead, use the guide on the side to only fill the kettle to the amount of cups you’ll be making.