With the recent news of rising energy prices, you may be concerned about how this will impact you financially.
There are many small, but important steps you can take to help reduce your costs at home.
Turn down the heating
Try putting on an extra jumper or socks, and take a hot water bottle to bed if it's chilly. Pull the curtains to keep in the heat and exclude drafts. You could even get creative and make your own draft excluder.
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Bleed your radiators.
If done regularly, this will stop air from getting trapped leading to cold spots and will make your heating work more efficiently. If you're not sure how to, speak to your landlord or head over to YouTube for lots of helpful videos.
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Wash more, less
Try to wait a bit to do big loads of washing rather than more frequent smaller loads. Wash your clothes at 30 degrees or less.
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Dry your washing outside
Tumble driers use a lot of electricity, but fresh air is free! Plus, drying clothes inside can release lots of water into the environment, causing problems with dampness and mould, often leading to further expense!
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Quick Showers
Take short showers instead of baths. You could consider fitting water-saving devices in your shower as using less water means heating less water. This could also help to reduce your other bills, so a win-win situation.
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Cook strategically
It can take a lot of energy to heat your oven, so consider cooking in bulk – either with friends/family or to freeze for a later date. If making small amounts consider using a microwave wherever possible, as these use a lot less energy than your oven or hob.
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Switch it off
Turn appliances off at the socket rather than leaving them on standby. Don’t leave chargers plugged in when not in use as they still continue to use electricity. Turn off lights when you leave a room, and if you’re not already, try to ensure you’re using energy-saving lightbulbs.
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For more guidance on reducing your energy costs at home take a look at The Energy Saving Trust