Save on your utility bills

Did you know the waste for the average family home is between 25-35% of the total energy used?

If you can save just 20% of the energy you use, you’ll make a saving of hundreds of pounds a year, as-well as significantly reducing your impact on the natural environment. How to cut down costs within the home

A first step to cutting costs within your home is to perform an energy audit. This is a inspection of your home for ways to shrink your utility bills. You can carry out a simple audit yourself by looking for things such as cracks and air leaks and tallying light bulb wattage’s. In some instances you can contact your utility company, and they will send out an energy auditor to your home for free!

Next you should check to see if your current energy provider is giving you the best deal, often by switching providers you could save money.

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Heating

Check your timer for the central heating and hot water ensuring that they are only on when required. Many people often find they require different times for weekdays and weekends, this is possible to set with newer timers.

Turning down your thermostat by as little as 1°C can make you savings on your energy bill by around 10%. Just add an extra layer of clothing if need be!
Why not adjust the temperature on your hot water? There’s no need to have scalding hot water, so turn it down to around 60 degrees.
If you’re not using a room then turn the radiator off and keep the door closed, this way you’re allowing the heat to be kept inside and it saves you heating a room which is not in use. Another way of trapping the heat within a room is to ensure you close the curtains and blinds as soon as it gets dark.
A programmable thermostat can reduce on your heating and cooling costs as much as 20% to 30%. They allow for multiple daily settings and automatically adjust when the outside temperature changes. Keep an eye out for those with features such as temperature recovery systems, two programmes and four temperature settings.
Is your boiler over 10 years old? If so then it may be time to look at replacing it to a more efficient energy saving one. Condensing boilers can be up to 92% efficient, and they work by recovering as much waste heat as possible, instead of letting it escape into the atmosphere.

Newer boilers may have better controls and settings allowing you to adjust the timer and heat more efficiently.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, around half the heat in a typical home is lost through the walls and loft, as-well as draughts around windows and doors and pipe lagging. So it would definitely be worth investing in insulation. Many households are able to apply for a loft and/or cavity wall insulation grant, and depending on your circumstances you may be entitled to a 50% or 100% grant. Log onto governmentgrants.co.uk to see what you could be entitled to.
In your home up to 20% of your heat could be lost through your windows, if you have single pane or badly fitted windows, it is worth considering energy saving windows.

Lighting
The next biggest household energy use after climate control is for lighting and appliances.

Always remember to switch off your lights when you’re not using them! Lighting accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of total energy use; when multiplied by the number of users, the potential for waste is enormous.
If you aren’t already using them, then switch to low energy lighting throughout your home. An example of this is Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL™s). They use up to 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and lasts up to 15 times longer. To search the best prices and efficiency take a look at www.bulbs.com.
Alternative energy sources are becoming more available to us including solar powered lighting which can be used in many forms including, sheds, and garages to outside lights. Although it’s not a practical solution for everyone, the prospect of a much lower utility bill should encourage homeowners to consider going green!
Electronics in stand by mode are estimated to suck up 8% of a home’s electricity bill. Examples of these electronics are clock radios, laptop computers, cordless phone bases, mobile phone chargers and printers. So always remember to UNPLUG appliances when not in use. Contrary to general belief, your TV set does not need to be left on standby each night.

Appliances
If you are looking to replace an appliance then look out for the energy efficient ratings, shown to the left. These appliances may be more expensive, but they use less energy and are more efficient, saving you money in the long term. For laundry appliances and dishwashers, the most efficient are A rated. For cold appliances look for A++ or A+.
Try washing your clothes at 30°c and you can make a saving of around 40% of the electricity used. Let the power of today’s laundry detergents do the cleaning instead of water temperature.
Tumble dryers are hugely inefficient, so try hanging your washing up to dry when possible. Clothes last longer if hung to dry. If you must use a dryer then there are dryer balls available which will help to soften clothes and can reduce drying up to 25%.
Try only boiling the amount of water required, most kettles have a scale on the side, so it’s worth using!

Water
If you have a water meter fitted to your home then you will be charged for the amont of water that you use, below are some simple yet cost efficient tips to help save money on your water bill. If you do not have one fitted it is still worth considering the advice below as water is a resource that we should not take for granted.
1 – Fit a save-a-flush device ( sometimes known as “hippo”™ or “bog hog”™ and you could save yourself a litre each time you flush.
2 – A dripping tap losing one drop a second will waste 15 litres of water (3 buckets full) a day! Remember wasted water equals wasted money!
3 – Save water when washing and take a shower rather than a bath. Did you know that a bath uses 80 litres, whereas a shower uses just 30 litres!
4 – Don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth. This uses 10 litres of water, which is more than flushing a toilet (9 litres).
5 – Use the plug in the sink when shaving.
6 – Save water in the kitchen by using a bowl instead of leaving the tap on when washing up.
7 – Don’t use dishwashers or washing machines when they are only half full! Why not try hand washing them? Did you know that a dishwasher uses 35 litres of water whereas hand washing only uses 6 litres!
8 – Save water in the garden, collect rainwater in a water butt and give plants a summer soaking once a week rather than daily.
9-To keep track of how much water you are using, install a water meter free of charge!
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