Keeping your energy bills low | 247 Blog

We’re all in the same boat of feeling the tight pinch when it comes to the never-ending rising energy bills that are taken from our bank accounts each month. On April the 1st 22 million UK homes saw a record increase in energy prices.

We have combined some of our easy and up-to-date top tips to help keep your home as energy-efficient as possible to ease those eye-watering monthly bills.

First things first, eliminating all draughts will remove all gaps in the home where heat escapes and is replaced by the cold air coming in. An article by The Energy Savings Trust states draught-proofing windows and doors of a typical gas-fuelled, semi-detached property could save you around £30 per year.

Heat loss around doors accounts for 20% of lost heat in our home, adding a curtain or blind  along with a draught excluder will ensure to keep that extra heat inside your home and save on heating costs

Windows are another area that a lot of cold can come in from if you’re not careful, adding thermal roman blinds which are designed with style and warmth in mind, or insulated pleated blinds. The aluminium coated honeycomb pockets work to trap air and act as a thermal insulator in winter, along with the blackout fabric; this is the perfect blind for a cosy summer or winter evening.

Once you’ve finished your Netflix series and it’s time for bed, it’s almost autopilot to turn your TV and appliances off using the remote or standby button. Switching everything off by the plug socket can save extra pennies better used elsewhere. According to Energy Saving Trust, switched-on plugs will still use electricity regardless of whether the device is turned off or now. 

Energy Saving Trust states that any switched-on charger that is plugged in will still use electricity, regardless of whether the device is attached or not. The amount of electricity produced from this only costs a few pence, but it will shorten the shelf life of the charger. So we suggest unplugging and switching off. We know we’re all guilty of it, but every penny counts! Energy Saving Trust says  “You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.”

Not only does a smart home provide data on your energy usage, meaning you can become more energy-efficient and mindful, but a smart home also allows you to have lots of control over your energy usage.

Like setting heating timers, turning on and off electric products while away from home, setting heating timers, meaning no heat is going to waste and you can automate your blinds to open and close at a certain time to insulate your home, which also comes with bonus features like extra security and privacy.

When it’s time for a cuppa be sure not to overfill your kettle, if you’re brewing for just one cup try and put the minimum amount in. This only sounds like a small change, but you will really feel big benefits from small changes.

Another small change that doesn’t seem like something considered to be of the utmost importance is to change your lightbulbs to LED bulbs, as much as this again seems like a small change.

According to Destination Lighting LED lightbulbs to use only 2-17 watts of electricity vs a standard light bulb that uses a standard lightbulb can use up to 100 watts, imagine that times the number of bulbs in your home!

There are so many ways you can save energy by limiting your water usage at home:

 — Turn the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth 

 — Put your washing on a lower heat

 — Take a shorter shower rather than a bath

Washing is something we can make a conscious effort to be more mindful of, using your washing line will not only leave your clothes feeling and smelling better than ever but will also help save some extra £££ - if like most days in the UK, the sun isn’t shining you can always use a clothes airer!