The Best Strategies To Reduce Energy Bills In Your Home
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will surely be aware of the huge spike in energy bills that is experienced by all households. The sad news is that prices are expected to keep increasing, so this is the perfect opportunity to consider ways to reduce your energy output and be smart about how to achieve long and short term savings.
Read on to find more information about reducing energy bills in your home:
Turn Off All Electrical Equipment And Appliances At The Power Source
Adjust Your Electricity Consumption Based On The Time Of Day
#1. Replace Old Incandescent Light Bulbs
Focusing on the types of lighting bulbs you have in your home is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to reduce your energy bills. If you have any incandescent bulbs that are no longer in use, you must replace them with more energy-efficient light bulbs.
For instance, light-emitting diodes (LED) light bulbs are 80 to 90% more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs, and their useful lives are 10 or 20 times longer. This is why several energy suppliers issue customers LEDs as a way to attract new customers to deal with them.
Strategy to save electricity: One modest way of reducing electricity bills is to replace the old bulbs with new LEDs. Alternatively, you may opt to replace your five most-used bulbs and begin to save money instantly.
# 2 Invest in Effective Home Insulation Measures
Keeping your home warm accounts for one of the highest energy expenses on your property. To get maximum value for your home, you have to insulate it well and prevent unnecessary loss of heat. That way, you will avoid spending additional money heating your home and keeping cold air away.
You may have to spend a significant amount of money to keep your home fully insulated. Nonetheless, there are pocket-friendly techniques to prevent heat loss and save money, like sealing up gaps around your windows and draft-proofing the door and windows.
By adopting more detailed insulation measures, the government is likely to support you via home energy plans like Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant.
Strategy to save electricity: At an affordable price, you can buy draught-proofing strips from your local home improvement store and seal the spaces around your home windows. If it is within your budget or you are eligible for a home energy efficiency scheme, consider removing your old windows and doors and installing well-fitting, double-glazed replacements. This will quickly lower your home’s heating bills.
#3. Invest in energy-efficient home appliances
The electrical appliances in your home are one of the major consumers of electricity. This is why it is important to consider buying energy-efficient appliances and replacing the outdated models that consume more energy.
Use the energy efficiency rating printed on the appliance to determine how efficient an appliance is. For instance, A+++ marks the most energy-efficient model on a scale ranging from A+++ to G.
Please note: newer models may cost a little more than the older ones. However, the newer models have lower ownership and operating cost because they provide homeowners with better results while consuming less electrical power.
The Energy Efficiency Regulations specify a minimum energy efficiency level required for rental properties in England and Wales. This implies that property owners must ensure their rental properties attain a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E before allowing new tenants into the buildings.
Strategy to save electricity: When your home’s old appliances and electrical installations break down, replace them with more energy-efficient options. The acquisition and installation costs may be high, but you will benefit from big reductions in your energy bills long term. You are likely to pay back the initial costs in one or two years.
#4. Reduce the temperature on your thermostat
Cold weather situations can greatly increase your home energy bills because, during such times, you need to heat your home for longer than usual.
We cannot control the weather pattern, but there are other simple tasks we can do to minimize energy consumption at home. By lowering your thermostat by only one degree, you can save as much as 5% on your electricity bill during the winter. Always keep your boiler in good working order with Corgi Home Plan.
Additionally, you may consider adopting smart technology in your home by installing a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat helps regulate the heating of your home by turning on the heating when you are at home and switching off the heating systems when you are away from home. A smart thermostat can reduce your energy bills by as much as 30%.
Strategy to save electricity: During winter, it is best if you maintain your thermostat setting at around 20ºC in the sitting room and 18ºC in your bedroom. When external temperatures fall, put on heavy clothing, use additional blankets, and stay warm as much as you can before shifting the thermostat’s temperature setting.
#5. Turn Off All Electrical Equipment And Appliances At The Power Source
Leaving pieces of equipment like computers, television etc. on standby mode is the last thing you do when you need to reduce energy consumption in your home.
When we switch off devices like computers, televisions, mobile phones and tablets, they adjust to standby mode but do not fully stop. During standby mode, these devices continue to consume energy to run mundane processes such as system updates and content downloads, yet no one needs them.
Strategy to save electricity: Invest in a smart plug adaptor that can receive commands from a remotely-located smartphone device or voice assistants like Siri, Alexa from Amazon, or Google Assistant. A smart plug adaptor paired with the right app is the best way to regulate energy use in your home. Additionally, you can set the plug to go off every night when you go to sleep.
#6. Adjust Your Electricity Consumption Based On The Time Of Day
Ensure you confirm the type of energy contract you are using. Most people use Economy 7 tariffs when they should not do so.
This is because economy 7 tariffs are unique tariffs with varying electricity charge rates depending on the time of day. During peak hours, the electricity charge rates are at their highest.
Peak rates vary based on your geographical location and the electricity company you are dealing with. Usually, off-peak hours start from 11 pm to 6 am or from midnight to 7 am. On the other hand, peak rates can kick in during the day or the early evening hours because, during these times, the electricity demand is at its highest.
You are likely to pay a huge bill if you are on an Economy 7 tariff and consuming electricity during the peak phase.
Strategy to save electricity: Anyone on an Economy 7 tariff must be aware of when their off-peak period begins and ends, and must aim to consume large amounts of energy only during this time. That is the best way to reap the maximum benefit from this tariff.
If you have to meet more than 35% of your energy needs during peak hours, it is best to move from the Economy 7 to a standard fixed tariff and stop incurring unnecessary energy expenses.
#7. Get a Smart Meter for Free
The Benefit Of Installing A Smart Meter
A smart meter helps the customer to keep track of how much energy they are consuming and how much they are spending on electricity bills. A smart meter shows the overall energy consumption in the house, the devices and appliances consuming the highest energy levels, and the available opportunities to lower energy reliance.
The usage and cost of residential gas and electricity are major economic agenda items all over the world and in parliament. This is because customers are concerned about paying high prices for these commodities, especially during times of recession and income stagnation in the United Kingdom, when customers’ wealth is at risk.
Strategy to save electricity: Call your current energy provider and enquire whether they can issue you with a smart meter and install it for you. Alternatively, consider changing to another provider and getting on an exclusive smart meter tariff. In many circumstances, it is possible to acquire a smart meter for free during the national smart meter rollout.
With these strategies and tips you are now ready to take immediate action to reduce your electricity bills. How many of these will you be trying?