Energy saving electrical devices can save you money around the home and office, and also help to reduce carbon emissions. In most cases, the initial cost of the device is recovered in savings within a short timeframe. Start reducing your electricity bills!
“Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1.” - Warren Buffet
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| www.energysavingtrust.org.uk will give you energy saving suggestions. E.g. look for Energy Saving Recommended logo when buying home appliances. |
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A washer with this logo could use 1/3 less energy and save you the initial cost over its lifetime.
Even though you get a 10 year guarantee with Yale Front doors, research shows that Yale doors have a lifespan of 35 years. That’s longer that any other kind of entrance door - and less impact on the planet!
Switch off all your appliances at the wall before going to bed at night Many electrical items continue to use electricity even while off if connected to an outlet. Do you really need to use the oven or microwave as a clock? A battery powered wall clock uses much less power.
Did you know? Almost a billion pounds of electricity is wasted in the UK every year by people leaving appliances on standby!
Don't be lazy by just switching your appliances to standby as this is a huge waste of electricity and not always safe!
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Kettles use a huge amount of electricity - try watching your meter when its switched on! Only boil the quantity of water you need. When replacing your kettle try to buy an eco-friendly kettle, which will save you a small fortune and pay for itself very quickly.
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If you do inadvertently boil too much water in the kettle, use the surplus to pour over weeds in your garden - it will work better than any weedkilling chemical!
Save on delivery of everyday items such as furniture and households goods by using transporters that place competing bids to win a customer’s business, bringing down delivery costs and making transport more affordable and efficient.
| Washing and drying Tumble drying is very expensive - line drying is free. Line dried clothes also smell fresher and any dust mites are killed by the sunlight. When outside drying is not possible consider whether you have radiators that could be used if on anyway. |
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Lower your washing machine temperature to 40. As long as your clothes are not heavily soiled then you should still be able to get your clothes clean on a wash at 30-40. If you only have a few items to wash then either wait until you have a full load or wash them by hand instead.
When using your oven try to fill it! If you really do need to use your oven for one thing then pile the bottom up with baking sheets, cake tins etc - this will make it into a much smaller space to heat - it reaches the desired temperature much quicker too.
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Insulation One of the most effective ways of saving energy is to insulate your home. Check that you have both cavity and wall insulation and consider increasing these further. Don't let money escape through your roof!
In addition, you can buy special insulation sheets to put behind radiators to reflect the heat back into the room. Cardboard wrapped in aluminium foil does this too. |
If you are on a low income, your local authority or energy supplier may be able to help cover the cost of insulation.
Don't forget you can insulate yourself too! It always amazes us the number of people who complain about being cold yet don't think to wear warm clothes and layers to reduce heating bills. How many people do you know who sit in t-shirts and vests with the heating turned up full??
Did you know? Two or three lightweight sweaters are warmer than one thick sweater.
If you have to take a sweater off indoors because you're too warm then you are wasting money - turn the central heating down first!
Turn your thermostat down and in the rooms you don't use switch the radiators off altogether, you will surprised how much money you can save on gas bills by taking this simple step. Also remember that heat rises and so in theory you can have the radiators lower upstairs then those downstairs.
Close doors to rooms that you don't use - keep the heat where its needed.
Close the curtains at night to help keep heat inside.
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Some other energy savings ideas...
Consider investing in a solar powered battery charger - you will make long term saving with this.
Change your light bulbs from standard to energy efficient - this will also save you money over time and energy saving bulbs are not as expensive to purchase as they used to be.
When you leave a room, turn off the lights why be charged for lighting a room you are not in! Also make sure other people in your house do the same to make sure you save as much as possible.
Do your research when buying home appliances and only buy home appliances that have been certified as energy efficient, they may be a little more costly to buy in the long run they will prove to be cost effective.
An empty freezer wastes money. When shopping buy up the bread products that are `reduced to clear`. This is an economic way of filling space in your freezer and if you split it down to what you use on average a day (say half a loaf) even less will go to waste.
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| High winds can make your house colder. If you live in a windy spot, try planting trees and bushes to cut down the wind speed. The best solution is to plant evergreens on the side towards the prevailing wind.
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