We’ve compiled a useful list of top tips to help you understand your energy bill and save energy.
How much energy does the average household use?
First and foremost, energy suppliers use a kWh as a unit of measurement to calculate your bills and determine how much energy you’ve consumed. For instance, you could use 1 kWh to boil a kettle 10 times or watch TV for 7 hours.
Every appliance in your home consumes energy, but some use more than others. Knowing how many kWh each person uses allows you to better monitor your usage, be more energy efficient, and save money.
Due to the increased availability of energy-efficient products, electricity consumption in the UK has decreased in recent years. Smaller houses, improved insulation, and milder winters are all contributing factors.
How can you save energy?
We have compiled a list of useful tips and tactics to help you save gas and electricity at home. We’ve used figures and information from the Energy Saving Trust to show you how much you could save with these helpful tips.*
1. Turn off any appliances that are on standby.
To save an average of £30 a year, turn off any appliances at the plug. Use cheap timer plugs, which allow you to schedule the turning off of the appliance, to ensure that your sockets remain switched off.
2. Install a smart thermostat.
Buying a smart thermostat can help you save money on heating by warming only the rooms you are using. To keep your home at the right temperature, they’ll calculate how long it takes to heat. You could save roughly £75 per year by installing a smart thermostat.
3. Turn down the thermostat.
More than half of the money you spend on energy bills goes toward heating and water costs. By lowering your thermostat by only one degree, you could save up to £80 per year. This will reduce your energy bills right away, and you may not notice a difference.
4. Buy energy-efficient appliances.
Throwing away a perfectly working appliance won’t save you money. However, when the time comes to replace it, choosing one with a high energy-efficiency rating can be worthwhile.
Over the course of 11 years, an A+++ washer will consume £65 less energy than an A+. When compared to an older machine, a modern, efficient dishwasher could normally cost roughly £7 less per year to run. Making these energy-efficient choices when buying appliances can be very cost-saving in the long run.
5. Wash your clothes at a lower temperature.
Washing your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees can help you save energy, and if you can cut out at least one wash a week, you can save £5 on your annual energy bill.
These minor modifications in your laundry habits, particularly the use of lower temperatures, can result in significant savings and are beneficial for the environment, reducing CO2 emissions. So, why not make these small changes to the way you wash?
6. Conserve your water usage
By being more wary about how much water you use, you can effectively save roughly £25 per year. To save on water consumption, you can wash your dishes in a bowl rather than with running water.
Also, investing in a more energy-efficient shower head can save you up to £18 per person a year on energy bills. Additionally, adding a water metre will increase your annual savings.
By shaving just one minute off each shower, you can save £7 per person every year.
7. Monitor your usage
Keeping a close eye on your energy consumption will help you determine if and when you need to make changes to how you use energy.
Installing a smart metre allows you to keep track of your consumption in real time. They communicate directly with your energy supplies, ensuring that no one needs to come and read your meter.
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* According to data from the Energy Saving Trust
