Electricity bills are at an all-time high, and everyone’s feeling the pinch. Here’s a few simple swaps you can make that will help reduce your electricity bill this year.
Take Shorter Showers
Most of the water we use in the home is heated – washing dishes, having a bath, etc. – and you can save money by using heated water less often or for a shorter time. By taking quick showers, having a shower instead of a bath, or washing dishes less frequently (and using a filled sink rather than running tap), you can save real money.
If a family of four reduced their shower time by just ONE minute, they could save up to £52 on energy bills and £45 on metered water bills (as well as over 11,000 litres of water a year.
Another two easy ways to reduce your bills is making sure your dishwasher is full before you put it on (reducing times it is used), which can save £17 a year, and not overfilling your kettle when you boil it, saving £13 a year.
Cool Down
Choose to wash your clothes in cooler temperatures (often, your machine will have an ‘eco’ setting for this!) to save money. Plenty of detergents work well at 30 or 20 degrees, or make your own for an eco-friendly laundry load.
Also consider doing less loads of washing a week by increasing the load size and re-wearing clothes that aren’t dirty or smelly. Switching to 30°C and cutting down to one load a week will cut down your bill by around £34!
Using drying racks or a washing line in the warmer months instead of switching on the dryer can save you up to £70 on your annual bill.
Unplug Your Appliances
Unplug or switch off your electrical appliances or gadgets that aren’t in use. Leaving things like computers or televisions on standby can use as much energy as when they’re turned on! Some things, such as your fridge and freezer, won’t be able to be turned off at the plug, but consider switching games consoles, lamps, microwaves, toasters, ovens and phone chargers off at the wall to save up to £200 a year.
Don’t Overcharge
Most of us charge our phones overnight so we never have to be without them. Phone chargers will still use power when your phone is fully charged, so leaving them charging for eight hours wastes money! Waiting until your phone battery is flat and utilising power saving mode before charging can also reduce your power usage. Enjoy the break from the constant notifications and put it on charge during the day!
Lower the Lights
Switching off the lights when you leave the room or waiting until it gets dark before switching on the lights can save you up to £25 a year. Replacing your bulbs with LED bulbs or energy-saving bulbs will save you even more!
