News

Saturday 13th November 2021

Help save the planet and save money too!

 With winter just around the corner, here’s some guidance on keeping your home cosy without breaking the bank. What might surprise you is that saving your pennies and saving the planet go…well, hand in glove!

Being environmentally aware and living sustainably is about changing some of our habits so that doing the right things becomes second nature. So, how can you form better habits that reduce your energy use, cut your bills and reduce your carbon footprint?

Read on for some reminders of the obvious things you can do, plus some other easy changes that can make a big difference – like turning off appliances at the wall or even just putting a lid on a saucepan.

Tiny lifestyle tweaks can shrink those energy bills! 

A quick, simple way to conserve energy is to turn down your heating thermostat . Just 1 degree lower can save you around £80 a year.

If you’ve set the timer to switch your heating off at 10.00 am, but you’re leaving the house at 8.30 am, change it to switch off as you leave the house.

Consider getting a Smart Meter, which helps you track energy consumption in real time so you can make on-the-spot tweaks to conserve fuel.

You can also buy a smart thermostat that allows you to control your heating and hot water anytime, anywhere, controlled by a handy phone app.

To stay cosy indoors, wear something warmer. Layers, like a vest and a light jumper will trap heat better than a single thick garment.

Take showers rather than baths. A family of 4 swapping one bath a week for a 5-minute shower would save up to £20 a year on gas bills.

If you’ve got ventilation fans in your kitchen or bathroom, turn them off once they’ve cleared any condensation.

WARMTH IN, COLD OUT

Open curtains and blinds during the day, to let in the warmth of the sun. Close them at night to keep the heat in and the cold out.

Use a draught excluder to stop warm air escaping, or cold air getting in, through gaps under your doors or in sash windows.    

Install dimmer switches so you can light a room just as much as you need, but no more. They work well with new LED bulbs.

If you’re not going to be using your computer for a while, switch it off, rather than leaving it in screensaver mode. 

Take phone, tablet and camera chargers out of the wall socket. Leaving them switched on means they still use power, even when the device isn’t charging.

KITCHEN TIPS

When boiling water, use a kettle or put a lid on the saucepan, so it will come to the boil sooner and use less energy.

When boiling an egg, turn the heat off early and the egg will finish cooking in the residual heat.

Cooking food from frozen? Plan ahead and take it out of the freezer in time to thaw properly. This avoids wasting energy defrosting in the oven or microwave.

After baking, leave the oven door open for a while, so the heat can warm your kitchen (unless there are small children or curious pets around!)

Don’t place your fridge or freezer near your cooker, or in direct sunlight.

Set your fridge thermostat at 3°C or get a cheap fridge thermometer and adjust the dial until the thermometer sticks at 3°C, as cold as it needs to be. Equally, keep your freezer compartment set at -18°C.