We all want to use less energy, to save the world and save our bank balances. With recent figures making us think more and more about how to curb our energy consumption, 2019 is the perfect time to start making small changes to our routines.
Easy Fixes
| Potential Annual Saving | |
| Only fill the kettle as much as you need; a litre is officially too much for a cuppa | £6 |
| One minute less in the shower every day saves money and water | £7 |
| Turn off your lights when you’re not in the room! | £15 |
| Radflek radiator reflectors to make use of the heat at the back of your radiator | £20 |
| Draught proof, draught proof, draught proof | £20 |
| A washing up bowl can save a lot of hot water compared to leaving the tap running | £25 |
| Stop relying on standby and start switching things off | £30 |
| A radiator fan to make sure that all the heat is getting pushed into the room | £31 |
| Swap out your old light bulbs to LED | £35 |
| Secondary glazing (if you’ve got single glazed windows) | £100 |
Clever Investments
Replace your boiler. A modern condensing boiler can reach as high as 97% efficient, which is an enormous step up from the old school G-rated monstrosities.
Improve your insulation. The best way to save energy on heating is to make the most of the heat you have and not let it escape. Loft insulation is one of the cheapest ways to do this, but there’s also cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, floor insulation, and plenty of others besides.
Smart meters. Although it might not directly save you money, a smart meter can make you aware of your habits and spending patterns enough to alter your behaviours and help you cut down on your energy use.
Invest in micro rewnewables. Although the Feed-in Tariff is ending in 2019, there is still plenty of reason to look in to solar panels and other forms of microgeneration. Useable heat can be generated from biomass, heat pumps, and solar thermal, with the RHI (renewable heat incentive) providing very good payback on top of all the savings on your bills.
Be smart when driving. Avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration can help reduce your fuel consumption, as well as removing heavy bike racks and other similar unused items. Keeping an eye on tire pressure can also help bring down your energy use.
Think we missed something? Do you have a different opinion?
Comment below to get your voice heard…
My daughter moved in to her house 8 months ago every single bill has been £70 or higher!! We’ve tried everything. Could it be a problem with the supplier or the meter? She’s about to have a new baby and we’re concerning about this mounting costs!
Hi Sandy,
It could be. There’s also the possibility that she’s on the wrong tariff for her needs. We’d advise you to use a price comparison programme like uSwitch to see what savings she could make by switching.
Thanks,
Harri