The ever-increasing cost of living is having a toll on many households. Whilst a lot of costs are out of our control there are a few simple changes you can make that can save you money on your energy bills.
In this blog post we will discuss some of the easiest ways to save money on your energy bill.
Ditch the clothes dryer
You may think that using a clothes dryer is an easy and effective way to dry your clothes but it is actually costing you money and ruining your clothes. A tumble dryer works by simply heating air and rotating clothes.
The most effective way to dry your clothes is on a line in the sun. Not only is the sunlight free and great for brightening white clothing, sheets, towels, and cloth nappies that can become discoloured over time it also disinfects them by killing any leftover bacteria. All for free!
Tumble drying also shrinks clothes twice as much as air-drying. Air drying is also gentler on your clothes. The heat and agitation of the machine can stress the fabric and fastenings can snag on other items.
Remove odours and enhance freshness
Drying your clothes in the sun for just a few hours can remove unpleasant smells from smoke, food, and mildew completely and drying your clothes in open air will make them smell fresher.
In winter it’s too cold and the sun isn’t shining couldn’t I use a dryer then?
Whilst it would be tempting to own a dryer for those days when it’s raining and the sun isn’t shining it still may not be cost effective to do so. In winter when it’s cold outside but warm and toasty inside due to the heating why not grab a few clothes horses and hang your washing inside? Sure the house may look like a clothes bomb has gone off for a few days but you are already heating the house to keep the humans warm why not save money and use that same heat to dry your clothes?
Wash clothes in cold water
Modern washing machines and washing powders are designed to wash clothes in cold water. It is estimated that 75 to 90% of all the energy your washer uses goes into heating the water. Make the switch to cold water and you'll almost immediately notice some savings.
The advantages of doing your laundry in cold water
Many washing powders and detergents have enzymes that will start working in temperatures as low as 15o C. There are also detergents that are specifically formulated to work in cold water.
Cold water typically does a better job of tackling tough stains. Some stains, such as sweat or blood, will set when treated in warm or hot water.
Warm or hot water tends to fade, wrinkle, shrink or break down fabrics more than cold water. Delicate fabrics such as lace and silk, as well as dark or colourful fabrics tend to do better in cold water.
Seal gaps
An easy way to save up to 10% on your energy bill is to seal gaps around windows and doors. When the windows and doors are closed, there can still be hidden gaps around window or doorframes. Even the small gaps, over time can bring in or leak out a lot of air. There are cheap and easy options to fill these gaps even if you are renting.
Around windows and doors use caulking for parts that don’t move and weather-stripping for parts that do move.
Door snakes/sausage are a cheap way to stop draughts from coming in under doors if you are renting. Weather door seals that attach to the bottom of the door also act to stop draughts.
Install efficient lightbulbs and light fixtures
While fluorescent bulbs and old light fixtures may produce enough light for your home, they consume far more energy than modern LED bulbs and new light fixtures. If you are looking to increase the amount of light in your home while drastically reducing energy consumption, swap your old bulbs and fixtures out for LED-based solutions. To further reduce energy consumption, be sure to utilize natural light as much as possible as this will minimize the amount of time your lights are on each day.
Check with your local council to see if they have any schemes that give you discounts for swapping out your old lights for more efficient LEDs.
Turn lights off when leaving the room
There’s no use installing energy efficient LED lights to save money only to leave the lights on in a room when no one is in there! You’d be surprised how much you can save by simply turning the lights off when they are not in use.
Turn the thermostat down/up
Heating and cooling account for a significant portion of your energy costs every year, making them one of the most significant expenses to track. You may want your house to feel like it’s a hot summer day in the dead of winter but for every degree you have on the thermostat you are adding 1% to your heating bill. Your house actually loses heat more slowly if the temperature is lower.
And according to ENERGY STAR, setting your thermostat to 20 degrees Celsius when you are home is the ideal balance of comfort and energy efficiency.
Wear more clothes in winter rather than turning the heating on
During winter, wearing more layers of clothing keeps us warmer more than compared to wearing just one thick piece of clothing because air gets trapped in between the layers of various clothes. As air is a bad conductor of heat, it prevents heat loss from our body and because of that, wearing more layers of clothing during winter keeps us warmer than wearing just one thick piece of clothing.
Add Insulation to roof and walls
If you are lucky enough to own your own home then ensuring you have insulation in your roof and walls is a cost-effective way to save money on heating and cooling bills. When you switch on your air conditioning or heating appliances, it’ll take less energy to cool or heat your room and could reduce the cost of heating and cooling by over 40%.
Add rugs to timber floors
If you have wooden floorboards with small gaps in between each board, a rug can help to minimize drafts coming up through the boards, and maximize the benefit of your home’s heating.
Combine heating, insulation, gap filling and use rugs to cover your cold floors, and your home and flooring will be warm and cosy in the cooler months of the year, whether you have wooden floorboards, tiles, concrete, or any other type of flooring.
To keep a room warm with a rug, choose a rug based on its material and thickness. Generally, thick rugs provide better insulation than thin rugs since there's more space between the cold floor and your feet. But the material matters, too: it should have plenty of tiny air pockets between the fibers for the best insulating effect.
Only fill kettle up enough to fill what is needed
Do you fill the kettle to the top even if you are only having 1 cup of coffee? When you use more water than you need in a kettle, you’re wasting energy and money. If you have a kettle with a minimum fill line, pay attention to it. Kettles with measurements on the side showing how many cups are useful too. Stop wasting water, electricity, and money!
Buy appliances with high energy star ratings
Don’t throw out your existing working appliances but if you are in the market for new ones check the energy star ratings. You could save up to 30% on your electricity bill by buying a more efficient appliance.
Install an instantaneous water heater instead of a storage heater
The primary benefit of instant hot water heaters is they only heat water as you need it. This is as opposed to a storage tank water heater where water is heated and stored until you want to use it. You heat the entire tank, regardless of whether you use it or not. As with the kettle example above, heating up more water than needed is just wasting money.
If you do have a storage tank then make sure it is heating up in off-peak times to save maximum dollars.
Turn appliances off at the power point
Household appliances account for around 30% of household energy use. They still use power when they are in standby mode so the simple act of turning appliances off at the wall/power point when you have finished using them can save up to 10% off your electricity bill.
Final Word
Saving money on your energy bill does not need to be hard or costly. By following the tips in this blog post, you can save money on your energy bill and help the environment at the same time. So what are you waiting for? Start saving money on your energy bill today!