When you’re looking to make the most of your monthly budget, it’s important to understand which aspects you can make changes to. Expenses such as your mortgage or rent, council tax and energy bills are essential payments, taking up a significant proportion of your budget. But on the other hand, reducing your energy consumption can have a significant impact! So if you’re worried about the cost of living and are wondering how you can limit your energy consumption, carry on reading.
First, try switching providers
Many homeowners overlook one of the easiest options for reducing their bills; hopping around and seeing if you can change provider to take advantage of better deals is a great place to start. Reducing your per unit cost of energy can have a huge impact on your bills, and combined with the steps below, can be really effective in lowering how much you pay for energy consumption.
Next, find ways to reduce your consumption
Now that you’ve lowered your per unit costs, here are some of the ways you can also reduce how much energy you use:
1. Install more insulation: Cavity and loft insulation can save 35MtCO2e over the course of its lifetime (according to a government report), so you spend far less energy heating your house.
2. Turn lights and switches off: It seems like a small saving, but making sure all lights and switches are turned off in your home when you aren’t using them can really cut down on the amount of electricity you use, especially if you are using older, less efficient lightbulbs.
3. Try cold showers: This one might sound crazy, but cold showers are gaining a huge amount of popularity! Having cold showers is not only reinvigorating, but it can help to save energy on heating the water. Even starting off with a warm shower and ending on a colder setting can have a much bigger effect than you might think.
4. Install double glazing: Double glazing helps to keep heat in more effectively, so if your home has old single-glazed windows, consider upgrading them. While this will come with a large upfront cost, the money you save over time will more than makeup for it.
5. Stop using the tumble dryer: Although it can take a little more time to dry clothes manually, tumble dryers use a huge amount of energy. As much as possible, hang your clothes out on a washing line rather than using a tumble dryer, not only will it save you energy it’s also much better for the environment.
6. Purchase more efficient devices: Replacing old TVs and appliances with more efficient models can reduce how much energy you use.
7. Use the microwave more: A little known fact is that microwaves are more efficient than ovens. They cook food much faster and don’t generate as much excess heat in your kitchen. Which all leads to lower energy bills.
Get in touch with Hoko Design now
If you’re interested in a home renovation to help improve your home’s energy usage, contact the Hoko Design team today to find out more.