With energy bills set to soar from the beginning of April here are 10 top tips for reducing your gas and electricity spend by up to £365 a year.
From the beginning of April households will see a rise of 54% in energy bills, which equates to a £693 rise per year, for a typical household, as reported by WalesOnline.
As all of us will now be looking for ways to save money on their energy bills before the price hike, personal finance experts Ocean Finance have shared 10 ways to cut your energy costs by £375 per year.
Goherefor the latest breaking news from across Teesside
Install a FREE smart meter to save up to £36 per year
Getting a smart meter installed could save you £36.93 per year on gas and electricity, according to the government’s Smart Meter Roll-Out Cost-Benefit Analysis.
Switch to smart bulbs to save £126 per year
Research shows that incandescent bulbs cost around £12.40 to buy and power annually, compared to just £2.05 for an LED smart bulb. Saving £10.35 per bulb, a house with 20 bulbs could save £207 every year by opting for energy-efficient lighting.
Even with the upfront costs (approximately £161.39 to buy 20 smart bulbs), after two years you could save up to £252.61 by using smart lighting – which works out at £126.30 per year.
If you can't see the survey above, please GO HERE
Take a navy shower to save £80 per year
Taking a navy shower means limiting yourself to just three minutes of hot water. You can get down to three minutes by doing all your soap and shampoo lathering with the shower switched off, then put it back on again to rinse. Reducing your shower time from 10 minutes to three can save you up to £80 a year, so it’s certainly worth a try.
Draught-proof your home with sponges, old blankets and other everyday items
Over time, your home will naturally start to leak heat through draughts around your doors, windows and floor – or even the chimney if you have an older home. By draught-proofing your home you can help bring your energy bills down. Here are some of the most common draught-proof techniques:
Use these laundry hacks to save £53 per year
Washing machines use a lot of water and energy to wash and spin all your dirty clothes. To save money, consider washing your clothes at between 30-40 degrees to reduce the amount of energy your machines need to spend on heating the water. Try hanging up your laundry to air-dry it, too – this requires zero energy while using a tumble dryer can significantly hike up your energy costs. Plus, doing this can save you a third on your energy bills, and at £160 per year, this amounts to a saving of £53.
Turn your appliances off standby to save £80 per year
When we turn off our electrical devices, many stay in standby mode, which uses a small amount of energy the entire time it’s left on standby. When you shut your electrics down completely, you can save up to £80 a year on your energy bills according to the Energy Saving Trust. Another great tip is to unplug anything you’re not using – if it’s not plugged in, it can’t contribute to your energy bills
Regularly bleed your radiators
You can increase the heat emitted by your radiators by bleeding them when needed. If they are working efficiently, then you won’t need to keep your central heating on for as long.
Rearrange your furniture to improve the heat flow of your room
In some cases, a simple rearranging of your living spaces could help you optimise the flow of heat in your house. If you have any furniture that covers or blocks a radiator, it's likely that the heat from that radiator is being absorbed by that object. Have a scan around your living room, and if anything is blocking the radiator. You can then rearrange it to improve the heat flow
Draught proof your windows with this £2.69 tape
Even if you have your heating on, you’ll find that your home won’t retain the heat if there are any gaps or holes that it can slip out of – such as in your window (especially if it’s single glazed). All you need to do is invest in some draught tape which can be purchased for £2.69 on Amazon. This type of tape is used to create a seal around the gaps in your windows that let any cool air in.
Place specialist foil behind your radiators to bounce the heat around the room
Putting specialist foil (£6.60) behind your radiators is another way to improve the heat flow in your home. The foil will reflect the heat and prevent it from going into the walls. If your home isn’t very well insulated, then this could help you prevent further heat loss. It’s also an eco-friendlier way of keeping yourself a bit warmer.
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