Being in the second half of my maternity leave means it’s time to tighten the purse strings as maternity pay really doesn’t go very far! With the colder weather upon us, I’ve been thinking about ways to save on our energy bills over the winter months as this is the most expensive time of year, so it’s crucial to start creating good energy habits and to make all of those savings count! Plus, saving energy is also good for the planet and environment so it’s a win win all round really!
So, I’m going to be sharing some really simple energy saving tips that you can start doing TODAY. This is nothing too complicated – like extensive DIY, a new roof or new windows, these are just everyday tips that you can try that can all help to make a big difference.
TURN OFF LIGHTS
Sounds simple, but it’s SO easy to leave everything switched on when you are going from one room to the next, especially when you have a baby as usually you are thinking about them and organising everything for them. Turn lights off as you go and make it a habit!
Layer up in the house
Autumn is a time to dig out those chunky knits, woolly tights and thick blankets. Why not snuggle up in those in the house before switching on your heating?
Check your Boiler
As boilers age, they become less efficient which can increase your energy bills. If you aren’t sure if it needs updating, hire a qualified engineer to check the current state. If the boiler is reaching the end of its lifecycle, get it replaced before winter arrives to avoid it breaking amidst frosty weather, leaving you without hot running water and heated radiators.
Due to the high energy efficiency rating of over 90%, getting a replacement condensing boiler could also lower your bills by £200 annually.
If you aren’t sure how to go about this task, the ‘find a boiler’ tool on BOXT can help you identify the type of boiler you need and calculate the costs. For even less hassle, the online service can also arrange the entire installation process.
Batch Cook
Batch cooking is a fab way to save money over the winter – not only does this save money on your ingredients, but it also means you reduce the time your oven has been on by putting everything on at once! Double Whammy.
Lower your wash temperature
With a new baby we do a LOT of laundry, especially now she’s started weaning – getting tomato puree out of her clothes is near-on impossible it seems! However, if you lower the temperature of your wash from 40 degrees to just 30 degrees, you save a third of the cost to run the cycle, thats a LOT over time!
Get a smart meters
Having smart meters is a fabulous way of identifying which appliances in your home are using the most energy so you can keep tabs on how much you are using and what is causing your bills to soar. They come with a smart energy monitor that helps you keep on top of what you are spending, plus they send automated meter reads to your energy supplier so there will be no nasty nasty surprises when your energy bill comes through the letterbox this winter. Phew.
Turn things off standby
I am so bad for this but I’ve been trying to create good energy habits when we go out and when we go to bed by turning everything OFF! Electrical items still use a lot of energy when they are on standby, so this really is a simple but important one!
Cut out draughts
Chilly draughts will make your home feel even cooler this winter, so block them out in a few simple ways -avoid any DIY quick fixes by laying a fabric draught stopper along the bottom of your doorway or fitting insulated curtains.
Double Dry
We have a heated air dryer for our laundry, which is a GOD SEND, but I’ll admit, it’s often left running for days and days upon end as it just gets forgotten about. I’ll normally find it 3 days later and Violet’s babygrows are dried to a crisp, so if you dry your clothes in this method, only use the rack for as long as they take and also load it up with two lots of washing – if you have to run it, do it all at once, then switch it off!
Only put the amount of water in the kettle you need
Being at home all day, I can’t count the amount of times I put the kettle on. I didn’t realise but you can make savings just by filling the kettle to the amount you need, rather than filling the whole thing. That seems like a small thing to do, but it all adds up!
Sit by the open fire
Warm & cosy – who doesn’t love snuggling up in front of the fireplace in the winter time. I’ve had my eye on one of these Barbas Bellfires fireplaces for a while, so gorgeous and such an efficient way to heat the room!
So, I hope you’ve found these tips helpful! I’m certainly going to be making more of a concerted effort this autumn/winter to cut our energy bills and keep things as economical as possible!
I’d love to hear any energy saving tips you might have so please do leave them in the comments below ?
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What a useful list (and a reminder for me – I’m terrible at overfilling the kettle!).
Thankfully we’re on it with the other things like lowering the water temp and the smart meters, but I’m sure we could do more.
Thanks for sharing.
Great tips! My OH is a pain for leaving on the lights and I never realised that about the temperature, will definitely give it a go 🙂
Great tips here, I’m doing most of them already…regarding drying clothes I justify using the tumbledrier by saying I get my clothes in charity shops I.e. not a handbag & shoes kinda gal!!! Defo do the batch cooking though x
I’ve only just started lowering our wash temperature as I had it in my head it wouldn’t wash the same, of course I was wrong. I’m guilty of not doing a lot of these.
Some fab tips here we love layering up I always get annoyed when I find my partner complaining of being cold when he has next to nothing on!!
Great tips! We’re dreadful for leaving lights on… especially at the moment as it’s so dark and it’s nice to come back to lights on after the school run xx
Great tips! I am always telling my husband that he doesn’t need to fill the kettle to the top each time
Oh my goodness how did I not know that about the washing machine! With three children I put on 2-3 loads a day, definitely going to be washing at 30 from now on! Thank you x
Great tips – our energy bill for last year got massively underestimated (we discovered) so that was a nasty surprise. I am good at layering up though: bought a fab cross between a blanket and a poncho which I wear at my computer in my home office 😀
These are great tips, I don’t like turning the heating on if I am in the house alone so I tend to use layers and blankets! Top tip about the kettle too, filling it every time is such a waste.
Great tips/ I had never thought about the water in the kettle. I always put in more than I need and then redo it when I make another cup!
A great list of tips. Our energy bill has just landed on the mat and it was a bit of a shock! I’ve been using the tumble dryer WAY too much. I’m also guilty of overfilling the kettle as well!
Thanks for this. We tend to use ALL the energy in winter so any way we can reduce our energy bills is a good thing! x
I always just leave appliances on standby too – we’re really trying to save £ this year so I’m going to try and be more mindful of this thanks x
Totally with you on the laundry one- having baby number 3 has tipped our washing pile into crazy zone so anything I can do to save energy is fine by me! Great post 🙂
Lots of great tips!
Some great tips here and I am trying to do most of these …. not always easy
Some great tips. I was brought up like that so it comes second nature, but it’s taken a while to drill these in to my partner.
Thanks for your tips and I will be sure to use them as saving energy can be very important so thanks again! 🙂
Some really good tips! I’ve just moved into my first house on my own so it’s all a learning curve for me especially where utility bills and stuff are concerned!
Investing in a smart meter is definitely a great idea. We have been saying we need to do this for ages!