Top Tips and Tricks for Saving Energy in Your Home

Are energy bills one of your top household concerns? If so, the Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau are looking to put your mind at rest by offering a wealth of information and advice during their Big Energy Saving Week which will run from 20-24 October 2014. The event will highlight positive, practical actions that’ll help you take control of your finances, so click here for more information and get a head start by following these top energy-saving tips and tricks.
Think about your heating controls
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops it can be easy to turn on the heating without a care in the world, but it’s important to pay attention to the settings and controls. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree could save you a whopping £75 a year as well as 310kg of carbon dioxide and doesn’t take much effort at all. As a guide, your room should be around 18-21 degrees, but if you feel comfortable there’s no harm in lowering the setting during milder periods or turning the heating off completely.
Save hot water throughout your home
The Big Energy Saving Week is all about encouraging people to take simple steps that could do wonders for their bank balance. So, if you’re inspired by this positive campaign, why not pledge to save hot water throughout your home by filling up the dishwasher completely before turning it on and only boiling the desired amount of water in your kettle? Fixing any leaking taps will also save water and taking short showers instead of long deep baths will also lower your bills. There are many ways to live a greener lifestyle, but these tips are sure to help.
Switch energy providers
One of the Energy Saving Trust’s missions is to get people to switch energy providers if they can get a better deal. While this might mean a little research on your behalf it’s certainly worth seeing what’s out there to ensure you get the right package for your needs. Before changing companies, however, always phone your current supplier to see if you can negotiate a better deal as what you’re receiving might simply be out of date. Tell them about any decent quotes you’ve had and ask them to make a price match.
Switch off electrical items
While we’re on the subject of switching, don’t forget to turn off all electrical items when they’re not in use and that doesn’t just mean placing them on standby. Many products will waste electricity unnecessarily when left on standby and cause your bills to skyrocket, so turn off all products at the wall. Main culprits include televisions, laptops, consoles, DVD players and other mod cons so if you can see an LED light glowing, do something about it before your finances take a hit. There are many ways to save energy around the home and all you really need is the right mind set and a bit of determination.  Good luck.
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