10 Simple Ways To Conserve Energy In Your Home
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With energy costs increasing dramatically, I’m taking a look at some simple ways to conserve energy and hopefully save some money too.
Like most people, I am completely horrified at the increase in energy costs.
Our monthly bill will almost double on the first of April and I feel really lucky that we are in a position to be able to afford the increase, as I know that’s not the case for many.
I’ve been struggling with what to write here recently. While I am passionate about saving money it feels like anything I suggest at the moment won’t be enough to help in cases where people’s monthly bills are doubling or even tripling!
You know it’s bad when even the King of Money Saving Martin Lewis doesn’t have a good deal you can switch to.
One of the main things we’ve been looking at in our house to try and save some money are simple ways to conserve energy. None of these tips are going to save you the hundreds of pounds energy prices have increased by.
BUT, they may help you to save something.
Even if it’s only £5 or £10 a month, that’s better than nothing. So, here we are 10 simple ways to conserve energy and hopefully, in turn, reduce the cost of your energy bills.
Simple Ways To Conserve Energy In Your Home
What Does Conserving Energy In Your Home Mean?
Conserving energy, simply put, is another way of saying saving energy. The more energy we can save within our homes, the less our energy bills should be. In this post, I will cover ways to cut both the cost and consumption of electricity and gas.
Note: One of the things I’ve avoided mentioning in this post is switching to more efficient appliances. While this of course does save money, it’s not realistic to expect people who are seeing huge increases in energy costs on top of increases in the cost of living to have the money to do this.
1. Flip The Switches
One place we waste a lot of energy is electrical items, such as televisions, which remain on standby with a light even when we’re not using them. If you take a look around your house you might find plenty of places this is the case, such as in spare bedrooms.
You could also do a nightly switch flip around the house before bed. Don’t forget to unplug chargers too and anything with a screen or light that could be consuming energy while you’re not using.
2. DIY Heated Airer
We all know that using tumble dryers can use a lot of energy. But if you live in a small house or flat, especially one with no outside space, getting clothes dried can be tricky.
Heated airers use much less energy than tumble drying and clothes dry much more quickly.
However, you may not have the funds to buy one.
You could try making your own, using a fitted sheet and a regular clothes horse. Load your clothes horse up with wet washing as you usually would but placed next to a radiator and then use the sheet to create a sort of tent over the washing and the radiator.
The heat helps to dry the clothes much more quickly and as the heating would be on anyway, saves energy compared to using a tumble dryer.
Related Post: 5 Ways To Dry Clothes Faster
3. Check Your Radiators
Did you know your radiators can be made more efficient? There are lots of things you can do to make sure your radiators are in tip-top condition and therefore give out the most heat possible.
This can conserve energy as the more efficiently the radiators do their job of heating your home, the less time they’ll need to be on for.
Clean Your Radiators – Radiators seem to attract dust and a build-up of dust can make them much less efficient. Deep clean every few weeks focusing on the areas you can’t see. You can even get special long dusters to help with this.
Bleed Radiators Twice A Year – Bleeding radiators makes them more efficient because it helps to remove any grime or air bubbles. It’s a job you can easily do yourself at home – trying watching a few Youtube tutorials if you’re unsure of what to do.
Check Radiators For Sludge Build Up – A build-up of sludge happens in radiators there is rust inside. Check by carefully feeling your radiator of cold spots when it’s on. This is a job you could do yourself but it is a bit more tricky than a simple radiator bleed so some people may prefer to get it looked at by a professional.
4. Turn Down The Heating By 1 Degree
I know many people will already have their heating on the lowest setting possible, but if you don’t, it is something to consider. Lowering your heating by just one degree can save as much as £80 per year depending on your overall usage.
How To Get More Heat From Radiators
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5. Reduce The Heating Timer By Half An Hour
In addition to turning down the heating, you could decrease the time the heating is on for by just 30 minutes in the morning and evening.
I think it’s always worth reviewing the times of day your heating is on and checking it during periods you are actually home as they may for change, for example, if you’ve recently gone back to working at the office instead of working from home.
6. Only Run When Full
Dishwashers are technically more energy-efficient than running a sink full of water, but maximise this by making sure they only run when full.
The same goes for the washing machine, especially if you have a large drum. Personally, I don’t separate darks and colours which makes this easier. Wash at 30 degrees and on an eco or time-saving setting if your machine has one.
7. Time Showers, Avoid Baths
Heating water for both baths and showers is one of the biggest ways our homes consume energy. I know that lots of people like to bath their children every night as part of the bedtime routine but my advice would be to cut this down if you can.
Showers are a huge point of contention in our household. My husband has the worst habit of switching on the shower and then doing other things like brushing his teeth, using the toilet, looking for clothes or clean towels and then getting distracted.
Often I realise the shower has been running for twenty-odd minutes and he’s NOT EVEN IN IT YET! I think now our energy bill is about to double he is slowly starting to see the light and is making more effort with this.
If you have a large household then timing showers could be a good way to reduce the energy they use.
8. Conserve Energy In Your Home: Off The Lights
‘It’s like Blackpool illuminations in here!’ is a phrase I’m sure many of us remember hearing during our childhoods. Switching off lights and encouraging your family to do the same can really help reduce energy costs.
I’ve said this so often recently our little girl has started saying ‘Daddy, you didn’t turn off the kitchen light’ when we sit down for dinner.
9. DIY Draft Excluders & Radiator Reflectors
At the start of this article, I talked about not wanting to make suggestions that would cost people a lot of money.
However, there are plenty of ways you can DIY yourself to a more energy-efficient home with items that most households would already have.
You could try making your own radiator reflectors which just use cardboard, tinfoil and tape. You could also make your own draft excluders.
10. Use Your Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are a win-win when it comes to money-saving. Not only are they cheaper to run than having your oven or stove on, but you can also use them to cook cheaper cuts of meat that benefit from low and slow cooking.
A further advantage is being able to cook a whole meal in the slow cooker – whether that’s a stew that includes all the veggies and potatoes or layering items such as chickens pieces and jacket potatoes so they all cook together.
I really hope these simple tips to conserve energy in your home save you money!
