Energy bills alert as nine hacks issued to start saving money now

A recent survey revealed that homeowners could save almost £300 every year on their energy bills with a few home improvements. MoneyMagpie teamed up with the survey holder, Smart Energy GB, to reveal some energy saving hacks that could reduce your bills by hundreds each year. Want some more? Keep reading!

Wash Less of Everything

We mean yourselves and your clothes! If you’re guilty of taking twenty-minute showers while you sing into an imaginary microphone, it’s time to cut down. Not only will this save on your water bill too, but it’ll help a busy household run more efficiently. You can even get a free shower timer to help you get into the habit.

If you don’t have an electric shower, you might wonder how using less water can reduce your bills. Not heating water for twenty minutes is the first benefit! You’ll also usually shower with an electric light on, so using that for less time will also reduce your energy usage.

Put on fewer washes in your laundry each week, too. Some clothes like jeans can be worn more than once, and delicate items like bras shouldn’t be washed too often either. Make sure you’re always using the most full load possible to reduce how many times a week you’re running the washing machine.

Air Dry, Don’t Tumble

While we’re talking about laundry, one extra ten-minute spin-only cycle on your washing machine will use far less electricity than a tumble dryer. It’ll spin out a lot of excess water, so clothes will dry faster.

Air dry your clothes whenever you can. Of course, in the UK, we’re not always blessed with sunny days. If you have to dry your clothes inside, consider investing in a heated airer, which costs around 14 pence per hour to run and significantly reduces drying time – it’s far more energy efficient than a tumble dryer!

Use Switch Timers

If you or your family members are prone to leaving things switched on overnight or when you’ve left for work in the morning, invest in some switch timers. These plug in between a lamp or appliance and the socket, so you can choose how many hours it is switched on. It can also be useful for things like running a fan during the summer at night – set it to run a few hours on and off each night rather than continuously.

Maximise Battery Usage

If appliances can be used either battery-operated or with a cord, try charging them at night (if that’s when you get a cheaper tariff rate) and only using them on battery power in the day until it runs out.

We all get ‘battery panic’ when it comes to phones and laptops, but even taking half an hour longer to almost fully drain the battery before you charge them up will add up over time. It can also extend the battery life of appliances, too.

Use battery-operated lamps, too. We love installing motion-activated LED lights with batteries in places like cupboards, the garage, at a door entrance, or even in the bathroom to avoid turning on the light at night. They stay on long enough for you to do whatever you need, and save power by automatically switching off.

Stop Using Standby

It’s so easy to walk away from televisions, computers, and games consoles while they’re on standby. But did you know you could easily save at least £147 a year on your energy bills by switching appliances off at the wall instead?

A study by the Energy Saving Trust revealed (with figures updated by British Gas), huge ‘vampire device’ costs such as a microwave costing £16.37 a year, washing machine £4.73, and electric showers £9.80 every year just on standby.

Bleed Your Radiators

If you haven’t been bleeding your radiators, you’re missing out on easy energy efficiency savings. Air in the system can prevent central heating from working efficiently, leaving some rooms colder until you increase the overall temperature.

Defrost Your Freezer

While we’re talking about increasing efficiency of things to reduce energy use, your freezer could be a hidden culprit of a high energy bill. As your freezer builds up ice over time, not only is the space available for you reduced, but the appliance is less efficient.

When your freezer is defrosted, fill empty gaps on shelves and in drawers with water-filled ziplock bags. When you need the space, remove the bag. Freezers are more efficient when they are full than empty, so filling spare space like this helps improve its efficiency.

Go Draught-Free

Invest in some draught excluder tape to run around your doors! This is a very inexpensive way to stop heat escaping and keep draughts out of the house. You can also use it around windows. Thermal window film can also help improve the efficiency of single glazed windows, and you can DIY a draught excluder by stuffing an old pillowcase with plastic bags.

Be Energy Aware

Finally, one of the best ways to save money around the home on your energy bills is simply to be more energy aware! The Smart Energy GB survey revealed 62 percent of respondents are more aware of their energy use at home, which in turn has reduced their bills. Think twice about using appliances, switch them off when you’re not using them, and if you’re away for a few days switch everything except your fridge and freezer off at the wall. You’ll quickly see a difference in your energy bills!