The cost of living seems to increase with alarming regularity and many homeowners try to find ways to bring their household expenses down. While it may be difficult to lower some household costs, you can easily learn how to save energy at home.
The average UK household consumes approximately 2,900kWh annually[i]. However, this usage can vary depending on the size of the house and the number of people living under one roof. Most household energy consumption also tends to be on the higher side during winter, when more hot water and heating are needed and less in summer.
If you’re looking at ways to bring your household energy costs down and do your little bit for the environment as well, we’ve found several small changes you can make to save yourself some money.
| AVERAGE ANNUAL ELECTRICITY USAGE IN UK HOMES | |
| Profile Class 1 (kWh) | Profile Class 2 (kW) |
| Low 1800 | Low 2400 |
| Medium 2900 | Medium 4200 |
| High 4300 | High 7100 |
1. Turn Off Lights
It may seem like an overly simplified solution to saving energy at home, but the simplest solutions are the easiest to start with. Simply get into the habit of turning off lights when you leave a room. Many of us have the bad habit of going to the kitchen, the bedroom or the bathroom to grab something and then we forget to turn them off once we leave the room. Turning off the lights is a habit that may take time to develop, but you will very quickly see the savings on your monthly electricity bill. Also, turn off the lights while you’re watching TV or light some candles instead of turning on the lights when you spend a relaxing hour in the bath.
While we’re on the topic of lights, as you need to change lightbulbs in your home, replace the old incandescent lightbulbs with LED lights. You can save up to 75% of energy usage simply by switching to LED lightbulbs[ii].
2. Unplug Appliances
Many people don’t pay attention to the little standby light on appliances and devices, but the fact that it is lit up means it is consuming electricity. It may not seem like a lot, but it can accumulate to a considerable amount of energy and cost over a year. The television and receiver boxes are the best place to start so instead of just grabbing the remote control and hitting the off button, unplug these devices. If your home entertainment setup makes this a little tricky, get yourself a power board with a switch. This way, instead of completely unplugging everything, you can flip the switch and keep everything turned off. This is also a good solution in the kitchen where you may have multiple kitchen appliances to turn off every day.
While you’re unplugging appliances, make sure you unplug your phone, tablet and other devices’ chargers when you don’t need them. This is yet another small habit you can develop that can help you save on your energy bills.
3. Don’t Fill Up The Kettle
Whether you like coffee or tea, you probably turn your kettle on several times every day. If you’re like most people, you probably tend to fill it with more water than you need before turning it on. By only putting enough water in the kettle for your needs, you can save about 30% less electricity than you normally use for this task. The other bonus is that by adding less water to the kettle, you will also be saving on your water bills and by adding a small amount of fresh water to the kettle each time, your hot beverages will also taste better.
4. Install Underfloor Heating
The right heating system can make all the difference for both keeping your home comfortably warm in winter and saving you on heating costs. One of the best ways to heat your home is with an electric underfloor heating system. This type of heating produces radiant heat which distributes heat evenly. Also, heat tends to rise which warms the air in the home from the floor to the ceiling. The other benefit is that you won’t have any hot spots or cold spots in the house and once underfloor heating heats the home to a comfortable temperature, it costs much less to maintain that heat.[iii]
5. Use The Oven Less
We all love a hearty Sunday roast but they take several hours to cook a nice roast to tender perfection. Those endless hours of having the oven on add up to a pretty penny over the course of 12 months. If you simply can’t face a Sunday without a family roast, you can always invest in a slow cooker for a delicious pot roast. Slow cookers are a great alternative to long hours cooking on an electric oven or stove and this type of cooking maintains most of the nutrients as well. Microwave ovens are also an energy-saving alternative as they cook food a lot faster than a conventional oven.
If you still prefer using your electric stove and oven for cooking, you can still save some money on your energy consumption by putting lids on your cookware. A good quality dutch oven is ideal for roasting in the oven and cooking on the stove. Also, much of the moisture in the cooking won’t evaporate with the lid on so you’ll save on water as well.
For those with the space and facilities, an Aga Cooker is also a great energy-saving solution. These old-style woodstoves heat very quickly and once hot, you can cook roasts and use the top of the stove with just a few pieces of wood.
6. Use Solar-Powered Devices
With the increasing popularity of using solar energy, we can now find solar-powered alternatives for almost anything that is traditionally powered by electricity. Things like your hot water boiler or your heating system can run off solar energy and although the initial costs can be high, once you connect as many devices in your home as possible to the solar energy source, you will notice the savings and be able to make the most of these savings for many, many years.
7. Upgrade Your Insulation
As heat from your heating system rises, it can be lost through the walls or the roof if you don’t have adequate insulation. The more heat escapes your home, the more you need to run your heating system and this can account for a much higher energy bill for your household. Good quality insulation traps the heat in your home so you can turn down your thermostat and use less energy to heat your home. This is especially important if you have rooms in the loft of your home as the heat can escape quite quickly through the roof. Also, consider insulating the wall cavities of your home to prevent heat loss there as well.
Read More: Loft Insulation Dos and Don’ts
8. Fill Up The Washer
There is always a temptation to throw half a washer full of laundry to prevent having an overflowing hamper of dirty clothes. However, running a half-empty washer uses the same energy as a full washer so it’s always better to wait until you have enough dirty laundry to do a full load. The other thing you don’t need to do is wash your clothes in hot water. Most modern laundry detergents are powerful enough to get rid of dirt and smell in cold water so switch to fully cold water or 30°C.[iv] Your clothes will last longer and you’ll save on your electricity bill.
9. Fit Double Glazing
Another way to reduce your heating costs is to install double-glazed windows in your home. Much of the heat in our homes is lost through windows and glass doors so by installing double glazed windows and doors you can reduce the heat escaping from your home and significantly lower your energy bills. Double glazed windows and doors will also ensure your home stays cooler in the summer. You can add an extra element of insulation to your windows by hanging thick curtains that will further prevent heat from escaping in the window or turning your home into a sauna in the summer.
10. Use Smart Devices
The best devices are those that turn themselves off when you aren’t using them or those that you can monitor and control from your smartphone. Many modern homes, and some older ones, are being fitted with smart devices that allow you to set the heating automatically so that you maintain a comfortable temperature when you are at home and also choose a lower temperature for the daytime hours when your household is at work or school. As an example, in a home with young, healthy adults, the optimal temperature in the home should be between 19°C and 22°C. However, if there are babies, elderly or unwell people in the home, you may need to raise the temperature one or two extra degrees. Smart devices also allow you to crank up the heat before you leave work so your home is warmer when everyone comes home in the evening.
Other devices such as your laptop, tablet or smart TV have an automatic shutoff so that if you’re not using these devices or they are inactive for longer periods, they will either shut down or go into hibernation mode. All of these can play a significant role in decreasing your electric usage and lowering your bills.
The best way to save energy in your home is to take small, very doable changes that won’t overwhelm you. Change is often hard so it’s always best to start small. The good news is, that once you work out how to save energy at home and you see the savings you can make, you’ll find more inventive ways to cut your energy bills even more. Not only will this be a great change for your budget, but you’ll be doing something great for the environment as well.
Sources
[i] https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/how-much-electricity-does-a-home-use
[ii] https://blog.arcadia.com/led-vs-regular-lightbulbs-do-they-really-make-a-difference/#:~:text=LEDs%20use%20much%20less%20energy,the%20difference%20is%20even%20larger.
[iii] https://www.warmup.com/blog/how-energy-efficient-is-underfloor-heating-2
[iv] https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/reports/EST_11120_Save%20Energy%20in%20your%20Home_15.6.pdf