It’s shocking that it’s come to this when it comes to our energy bills. In the year 2022 no-one should be having to choose between whether they eat, or stay warm. Yet for many people, this is the sad truth of it. Since the latest price increase, many are now facing upwards of a £200 price increase month on month. For people who were living pay-check to pay-check, or older people living off their pension, a sudden £200 extra outgoing every month just isn’t feasible.
So, to help out as much as we can, here are some simple ways you can save money and reduce your energy bills. From calculating your electricity bill, to heating you, not your home.
Quick Ways To Reduce Your Electricity Usage
- Turn appliances off standby
- Charge your phone or laptop at work
- Turn lights off when not in use
- Only fill the kettle with the exact amount of water you need
- Don’t leave the oven to warm-up longer than needed
- Watch less TV – read a book, go for a walk instead
How Much Energy Does The Average Family Use?
Of course this is just an average estimate, but the average family of 4 living in the UK in 2022, compared to back in the 1990’s uses more than three times the amount of energy.
You might think this was purely down to the amount of electrical devices one home will have. From multiple TV’s, a mobile phone each, laptops, games consoles, numerous lights and lamps, an electric toothbrush each, your Sky box…etc. However, even though we now have and use a lot more in our homes, the devices we do have are a lot more energy efficient than they used to be.
So, why then have our energy bills gone up? This is simply down to supply and demand on the global wholesale market. You as a person probably aren’t using more energy than you were 10 years ago. However, the price of energy itself has gone up significantly.
How Do We Reduce Our Energy Bills?
There are actually quite a few things you can do to help you reduce your energy bills. Simple, yet very effective tweaks you can do around your home that could make a huge difference.
Heat You, Not Your Home
Although it’s great to have a nice warm home, some of us just can’t afford that luxury anymore. Instead, try heating yourself instead of your entire home. Here are some simple ways to do that…
- Wear thermal undies
- Cover yourself with a blanket if sitting still
- Cuddle up to your partner
- Wear long socks and slippers
- Layers are your best-friends
- Wear a beanie to keep the cold escaping from your head
- Finger-less gloves are a must
- Wear a snood to keep your neck warm
- Keep your feet off the floor where possible
- Move with the sunshine – if one room gets a lot of sunlight, it will naturally be warmer
- If you’re cooking in the kitchen, make the most of this heat by staying in there longer
Wash Your Clothes At Lower Temperatures
Instead of washing your clothes on a 40 degree wash, opt for a 30 degree wash instead as this will help reduce your energy usage. Also, when doing a wash, make sure you have a full load.
Before you put the load on, ask yourself if these clothes really do need to be washed or whether they actually have a few more days in them. See if you can cut down by one was a week.
Buy More Energy Efficient Appliances
Don’t just get rid of what you have if you don’t need to. However, when it does come time to swap, opt for more energy efficient appliances where possible. For example, an A+++ washing machine will typically use £60 less energy than an A+ one over an 11-year period. An A+++ fridge freezer could save you a whopping £300 in it’s lifetime.
Install A Smart Thermostat
This makes heating your home more efficient by only warming the rooms you’re in. By heating rooms you aren’t in, you might as well start throwing your money away! Instead, only heat rooms you’re currently in or using to save yourself some money on your energy bills.
Turn Down Your Thermostat
Did you know, by turning down your thermostat by just one degree, over the year you could save around £65. You probably wouldn’t even realise your home was one degree cooler, but you would notice than extra money in your pocket!
Upgrade Your boiler
By upgrading your old boiler to a new A-rated condensing boiler you could save yourself a lot of money. Especially if it also comes with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls. However, if your boiler is working fine at the moment, don’t waste your money swapping it until you need to as they are VERY expensive!
Invest In Double Glazing
By ensuring your home has double glazing throughout will better insulate your home from the cold and the wind. This means you’ll need to use less energy to heat your home, and keep your bills lower.
If you don’t have, or can’t afford double glazing, you could always buy plastic lining for your windows until you are able to upgrade your windows.
Draught-Proof Your Home
A cold draught can cause your home to lose heat very quickly, so it’s a great way to make sure you home retains its heat. which makes it more tempting to turn the heating up. You can buy things like draught excluders or draught-proofing kits on places such as eBay, or Amazon – or even at your local hardware store.
They are generally very simple to install and are great for sealing cracks in the floor and around skirting boards. You can use them to line your letterbox, or any doors and windows that let air come in. Simply hold your hand around any cracks, or gaps and see if you can feel a breeze. If you can, likelihood is, you need to seal this draught if you can feel anything.
Is Your Roof Insulated?
Is your home well insulated? One way to ensure you aren’t letting heat escape your home is by insulating your roof and loft. However this process can be very complicated and costly so it isn’t something everyone can do right now.
If you can’t afford it right now, try sealing your loft hatch instead to stop any un-necessary heat escaping as much as you can.
Monitor Your Usage With A Smart Meter
Getting yourself a smart meter might just be one of the best things you ever do when it comes to keeping your energy costs low. You get to keep a watchful eye on your energy consumption levels. Being able to see the number go higher and higher as you watch it is a great way to show you how much you’re using, as you’re using it.
Think Carefully About Your Water Usage
There are actually many things you can do to help lower your water usage at home.
- Make sure your dishwasher is full before putting it on.
- Don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth.
- Switch your shower head for a more energy efficient one – with slower water.
- Time your showers o be under 5 minutes.
- Shower at the gym instead if you can.
- Only fill the kettle with the exact amount of water you need.
- Fill your water bottle up at work or the gym before you leave.
- Put a brick into your toilet cistern to use less water.
- Use rain water to water your plants.
- Share bath water.
Calculating Your Electricity Bill
If you can calculate your estimated electricity bill before you get it, you’ll be in a much better place when it comes through. It won’t be such a shock and you might be able to budget better for the bill to come.
If you have a smart meter, this will do all the workings out for you. However, if you don’t please see below as to how you calculate your energy bill.
Another great reason to calculate your energy bill is to see what you’re currently using and see if you can reduce this month on month. Perhaps you could make it into a game with the kids, partner, or even just a challenge for yourself. Every time you beat the previous month, you can get yourself a little treat for a job well done.
Do you spend time calculating your electricity bill?
FAQ’s
How Are Electricity Bills Calculated?
Simply put, your energy bills are calculated on the amount of units of energy you consume. Depending on your supplier, you may also have to pay a standing charge.
How Do You Calculate Your Electricity Usage?
Simply multiply the unit’s wattage by the number of hours you’ve used it for. This will give you the number of watt-hours consumed each day. For example, if you’ve used a 100 watt’s of electricity for 5 hours, that would be 500 watt-hours of energy used. It’s these watt-hours you need to watch and keep as low as possibly to reduce your energy bill.
Thanks for sharing sweetie!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk