Tips for cutting your energy costs

Now that the earth’s once seemingly limitless supply of fossil fuels such as natural gas and crude oil is becoming increasingly limited, it has become imperative that everybody takes steps to reduce their energy use. However, by taking a few simple steps, we can all help to preserve what remains of our precious oil and gas supplies – and the environment – and save ourselves a bit of money into the bargain:

Don’t use appliances which make inefficient use of the energy that they require. You might think that you’re saving money by avoiding having to shell out for an expensive new boiler or fridge, but the truth is that you can often save money by upgrading to more modern, energy efficient appliances.

If you cannot afford to replace inefficient older appliances, find out if there is any way to make them more energy efficient, such as buying a special adapter or having them converted in some way.

If you are not using an appliance, turn it off. A television or computer set to standby still uses around 60% of the power it would require during normal operation, which, apart from anything else, is costing you a lot of money which would be better spent elsewhere. Set your computer to enter ‘sleep’ mode rather than go to a screen saver when you leave it to idle for a few minutes. If it is available in your area, sign up to an energy supplier which produces electricity from green sources.

Although there is no way of ensuring that all of the energy you use comes from renewable sources, this at least encourages investment in renewables. Avoid wasting energy through your water supply by installing low flow shower heads and insulating your pipes and the area around your boiler.

Don’t turn on your washing machine or dishwasher unless you have a full load, as the same amount of energy is used regardless of the contents of the machine.

A small reduction in your household temperature can mean a big reduction in your household bills. Nobody will notice if you turn down your thermostat by one degree, but you will certainly notice a reduction of around ten percent of your energy bill!

Upgrade your insulation. In particular, much of the heat produced in the home is lost to the atmosphere through the roof, so by insulating your loft you can keep a lot of the heat that you produce from being wasted.

Keep your home maintained. A roof with holes in it could be costing you hundreds of pounds every year in lost heat energy. Fixing drafts in your windows and doors can also save a lot of heat from getting out.

Installing modern boiler controls can not only hugely improve the flexibility of your heating system, but it can also save you a pile of money by making more efficient use of the heat produced by your boiler.

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