Energy Bills Causing You Stress? Here Are Some Reduction Tips

The last year has seen some extreme rises in the price of energy and it is driving many people to despair. Although no one should be choosing between heating or eating, there are millions of people who are making that choice.

Keeping your home light up, warm, and with hot water isn’t cheap, but there are many things that you can do to help reduce your energy bills and save some cents on the monthly costs. 

Money saving energy tips can make a substantial difference to how much you have left at the end of the month. 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Crockpot, microwave or toaster

The oven can take hours to cook food and while it might taste better, in theory, your oven is burning through gas or eclectic to make it work. The crockpot, toaster, or microwave uses significantly less energy to cook food through. Not only is there a financial saving here, but you can also enjoy a time-saving one too. 

Deep cleaning

The cleaner all of your systems are, the more efficient they will be. This includes your HVAC system, washing machine, dishwashers, freezer, and oven. Deep cleaning can take up some time, but it is worth it to reduce the amount of energy that the appliance needs to use to work effectively. 

If you have more than one fridge, decide if you need to keep them both running right now or would it be better to unplug one for a while. 

Your refrigerator is of high importance here as they are on 24/7. Ensure that the seals are still air-tight and that it is set to the recommended temperature for the products that you typically store. 

Washing and Drying

If you are ever tempted to put on less than a whole load of washing or drying - think of the cost. Is this an efficient use of power? The answer is always no. Make sure that you never use less than ¾ of the drum for every wash and every dry cycle. Overall this will reduce how often you use these appliances and reduce their consumption. 

Drying Part 2

If you need to make some more significant adjustments to your monthly spending on energy usage, then skipping the tumble dryer is one of the best ways to go. If you hang 50%+ of your washing on the line outside or in an area in the home that has a good flow of air, that is a significant saving on this part of the process. 

Washing Part 2

Think about the temperature you are using to wash your laundry. Many people are washing too many items in a high heat setting if your washing machine has a lower temperature setting for most clothing items. However, for towels and bed linen, a higher wash can help to kill bacteria. 

Since modern detergents are equipped, and in some cases designed, to use a cooler setting, make the most of this potential saving. 

Consider how many washes you need to do per week vs. how many you are currently doing. Sometimes when you become more efficient with the amount you wash and when you can cut one or more loads per week. 

Windows

The covers you have on your window can let heat out or trap heat in. Using your windows in the best way means that you can see a reduction in what you are spending on AC or fan usage. 

Try to promote airflow through windows in the summer for the cooler hours of the day, and then block out the sun in the afternoon. It is the afternoon hours that can cause a significant spike in the temperature in your home. By controlling the temperatures, you will reduce the amount of work the fans and HVAC and AC will be doing. 

Air Conditioning

While there might be nothing better than stepping into a house that has been pre-cooled, if you don't have a smart home system that can turn the AC 15 minutes before you get home, you’re spending a lot of cash. 

Any time that you aren’t in the home and you don’t have a smart system with a timer option, it is vital that you turn as much off as possible. 

Task lighting 

If you romanticise years gone by where working or reading by candlelight was the done thing, then you can make that a modern reality. Using task lighting means you just have the light exactly where you need it. This reduces the cost of electric usage overall, and you are only using power where you need it. 

Saving money is something you can do all over your home, not just with energy bills; here are some more great tips for you: How to: Save Money on things! My top 3 Tips! | Alex Gladwin.