Could you reduce your energy bills?

Saving money and energy is not only great for your personal finances, it’s also good news for the planet and our environment. If everyone made some small changes to keep energy bills in check and dripping taps at bay we all should have a few extra pennies to spend. 

1. Energy

• Check that you’re on paperless billing and manage your account online as some companies charge for paper bills. 
• Make your bills easier to manage by paying monthly via direct debit - this way you’ll know how much your monthly outgoing will be. 
• If you have already spoken to your current provider about your tariff, consider switching to a new supplier for a better deal. 

• Try a degree or two less on the thermostat and pop on a blanket instead of the heating when you’re watching your favourite box set in the evening could save you pounds! 
• Check your home insulation is up to scratch and you're not losing heat from your loft space or through floorboards.
• Pop a draught excluder in front of exterior doors to keep the heat in. 
• Remember to dust your radiators as they will have to work a lot harder to push heat through a layer of grub. 
• Install a smart meter and give yourself a daily cap and see if you can stay below it as a challenge. 
• Wash clothes at 30 degrees or less if they aren’t really dirty to save energy. 

• When defrosting food, leave it overnight instead of using the microwave.
• Boil water in a kettle not a pan. Plus, only use as much water as you need to cover what you’re cooking. 
• Make sure your fridge/freezer isn’t in direct sunlight or near a radiator as it will have to work harder to stay cold if it’s being heated from the outside.
• Clean the back of your fridge - dusty coils have to work harder!
• Aim to use your microwave or slow cooker more often than your conventional oven - they can be 50% - 75% more energy efficient.
• When storing leftover food or making lunch for work or school use reusable containers rather than using plastic wrap.
• Try not to waste food. Freeze leftovers if you won’t eat them soon after and try to meal plan so you don’t buy food that you won’t need in meals.

• Limit baths because they use a lot more water than showers.
• Challenge yourself to spend a minute or two less in the shower a day - the savings will quickly add up.
• Consider changing your shower head to an eco-friendly style that could use less water. 
• Don’t leave the tap running when washing your face or cleaning your teeth.
• Repair dripping taps - this is literally money down the drain!
• Only use as much washing up water as you need and save up your pots and do the washing a few times a day instead of every time you’ve used something.
• Don’t overfill the kettle, only boil what you need for your cups of tea. 
• Only use your dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. A half load uses just as much electricity and hot water as a full load.

• Turn off the lights when you leave the room unless you’re going straight back in there. 
• Try changing your bulbs to more energy efficient version which can save up to £3 a year and £50 over the course of the bulb’s lifetime. 
• Don’t leave lamps and other electrical items plugged in or on standby as this uses more energy than if it was completely switched off at the wall.