The fact is that running a home is not getting any cheaper. Your household energy bills never seem to go down, no matter how many news stories there are about the collapse in global oil and gas prices.
New technologies such as fracking are in the news, but for many people, it is a struggle to simply make ends meet each month. Any way you can save some money around the home on energy use will always be welcome.
Here are some useful tips to make the most of a few cost-cutting measures that won’t affect your lifestyle.
Know your usage
One of the main ways that you can cut down energy bills is simple – the less energy you use, the less you pay. This means that you can make savings without having to replace any equipment or invest in new technology.
There are a number of ways to work out how much power you use and how you use it, which is the first step on creating your own energy plan.
From intelligent smart meters, online calculation tools, and even phone apps, there are lots of opportunities to learn about the energy use in your home, and to use the information to make money-saving changes to your behavior.
For instance, making sure your washing machine has a full load is a really easy step to take. Around 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is used up by heating the water, so the more you put in, the more you save.
Spending more time at home with the whole family, you can sometimes end up feeling a bit more isolated and separate. With everyone split up into different rooms, you might not actually be spending much time together at all. You may need help forming a Conservatory Conversions.
A converted conservatory can revamp up your home into an open living space, allowing you to connect with your family again.
Low-cost solutions
There are some very low-cost solutions that can save you dollars in the long run. Simply changing from old, power-hungry light bulbs to new, energy efficient LED ones can be a great economical investment. Likewise, making sure any new items you buy such as fridges, washing machines and cookers have good energy ratings is an essential part of keeping bills down and also doing your bit for the environment.
Determine your budget ahead of time with a prepaid light company. What is a prepaid electricity? They are energy plans in which electricity is purchased and paid for before it is used.
Tackle heat loss
One of the biggest drains on a household energy budget can be heat loss during colder months. Loft insulation is a major way to make sure that your home is not losing heat that costs you money to generate. Windows can also let heat escape from a home, so fitting stylish wooden shutters can not only look great but also help you to cut your utility bills.
Around the house, simply turning your central heating down by one degree can make a real dent in fuel use without any noticeable effect on your indoor environment at all.
Simple answers
Global energy issues seem so difficult for governments to deal with, but thankfully, tackling some simple tasks and making small changes around your home can make all the difference to household outgoings.
You can easily make savings with little or no outlay. All you need is to want to do it; and who doesn’t want to spend less on household energy bills?
