Utility bill money saving tips

There is plenty of talk around at the moment, particularly in the media, about the clean, endless supply of energy that can be obtained from solar, wind, and wave power. However, over two thirds of our energy supplies still come from our non-renewable, polluting, and rapidly dwindling supply of fossil fuels such as gas and crude oil.

Even if you choose to ignore the long term environmental consequences of continuing to burn fossil fuels for this purpose, the rising cost of energy caused by the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels has affected everyone in recent years. This has made energy conservation an increasingly important issue for all of us. So if you’re looking to do your bit for the environment, and want to save some money into the bargain, here are a few handy hints to get you started:

If you have an air conditioning system in your home, try running it at a slightly higher temperature. Switching it from 72 degrees Fahrenheit to 78 can save around 40% of your energy bill, and you’ll hardly notice the difference.

In winter, you don’t have to turn your heating off entirely just to save money on your utilities. Simply cutting the temperature on your central heating by one or two degrees can make a substantial difference to your bill.

If you have air conditioning, keep the filters clean, as if they are dirty, the system will be working very inefficiently.
Only use heating or air conditioning in rooms that are occupied, and don’t leave your heating or air conditioning on when you are out of the house, unless there is a danger of pipes bursting if you don’t.

Use fans and portable heaters to complement your air conditioning or central heating. You don’t need to control the climate of your whole house if you are only going to be using a small part of it.
On a bright day, opening your blinds but keeping your windows closed can help to heat your home by trapping heat from the sun’s rays, without exposing you to the chilling effects of the wind.

On summer nights, opening windows can cool your home just as effectively as air conditioning, and the best thing is that it won’t cost you a thing.

Keep your house isolated from the elements by making sure that there are no drafty windows or holes in your roof. This will ensure that you make better use of the heat you generate through your appliances.

Loft insulation is cheap and can save you a packet on your utilities bills. Furthermore, there are sometimes grants available from the government to help with the costs.

If your boiler is over ten years old, then you could save a lot of money off your bills by upgrading it with better controls, or replacing it with a new, energy efficient condensing boiler.

Switch to British Gas' cheapest electricity tariff and on your electricity bill. You can also start saving on with our lowest available gas prices today.

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