How to reduce your energy bills on a budget

Regardless of your budget, the spikes in energy bills are something that all of us want to avoid. Reducing your energy bills is mutually beneficial for both you and the planet. The less energy you use, the less you have to pay in energy bills! By April 2022, energy prices are expected to increase by over 50% in the UK. The best way to combat this is by insulating your property. However, there are a lot of ways to reduce your energy bills without having to make drastic changes to your property or by disrupting the place you live in.

There could be some ways that the furnishes in your household are eating into your energy bills without you even realising it. But by being conscious of this and making minor improvements, you’re already half way there to reduced energy bills.

1. Rather than heating your property, the fireplace can become a source of heat loss and cause draughts. When it’s not in use, close the damper to prevent draughts or heat escaping.
2. Seal draughty windows as up to a third of heat loss occurs through windows and doors.
3. In the warmer months when the days are longer, you should always make the most of natural lighting.
4. Replacing old windows is also a way to become more energy efficient. Replacing even the single pane windows can save you more than £330 a year.

There are more long-term methods that you can implement in your property to reduce heat loss and reduce your energy bills at the same time. You can improve the insulation in your home to ensure that you’re spending as little as possible on heating your property. Insulating our property and making it as energy efficient as possible means that you’ll be spending as little as possible when it comes to your heating bills.

• You can get an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) to see how Energy Efficient your property currently is and the ways that the Energy Efficiency of your property can be improved.
• You can also schedule maintenance checks of your heating systems so that you know whether they’re working efficiently or not.
• Heating accounts for an average of 43% of the cost of heating your home. Turning it down and keeping it as close to the temperature of the outdoors will save you money on your energy bills.

You can also make small home improvements in your property that don’t require professional assistance but they can all add up and make a big difference in the long term.

• LED lights use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. Using these as your main source of lighting is a much more energy efficient way to light your home.
• You can install a smart thermostat as this will make your home more energy efficient by only heating the rooms that are in use. There are even some thermostats that can be controlled from your phone to monitor the heating in each room in your house.
• More energy efficient appliances will save you a lot of money too. For example, an A+++ fridge freezer will save you around £320 in its lifetime compared to an A+ model.
• You can also install a timer for your water heater so that the timer will automatically turn off your heater when it’s not in use, when you’re not at home or during the night.
• Repairing any electrical issues in the house is also another solution. Electrical surges, burnt out bulbs or constant flickering means that your electrical equipment isn’t running as efficiently as it could be.

The single and most effective way to save energy in your property is by controlling your habits. The small things you do each day could be some of the most effective ways of saving you money as it all adds up.

• Turn off standby appliances as they still consume up to 75% of the energy when they’re not in use.
• Almost half of the money you spend on your energy bills is absorbed by heating and hot water costs. Only using what you need is one of the best ways to reduce your energy bills as you’re only paying for what you need.
• Air conditioners and heaters use more energy when the filters are dirty as it takes more energy for them to work properly. So by cleaning and replacing filters, they will work more effectively.
• Always use the dishwasher and washing machine to wash full loads as they still use the same amount of energy when the load is only half full.
• As simple as it seems, shutting doors and closing windows and curtains is an effective way to save money.
• Clean the lint filter in your dryer so that it continues to work effectively.
• Cook using the right sized burner on the stove. Make sure that you only use the largest rungs for the biggest pans.