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Home Energy Savings
It’s a glorious summer in the UK and we know many of you are celebrating the ability to keep the heating off for more than a month and enjoy plenty of BBQ’s. But, even though the weather is hot and the garden is calling, the summer is a good time to think about how you can save energy in your home and get prepared for the colder autumn and winter months.
“The summer isn’t a time when you naturally think about home energy savings tips, after all you should be saving energy during the warmer months as the heating stays off,” says Fulham estate agent Lawsons & Daughters. “But, it’s actually the best time to plan ahead and get things in place for the winter months, when you’ll be grateful for the cost-effective methods you’ve installed.”
Block Up Draughts
Blocking up any old chimneys is an excellent way to increase the energy efficiency of your home and cut down on your heating bills. It’s not the only potentially draughty area of your home though. Single glazed windows are notoriously energy inefficient, while any double glazing that’s over ten-years old needs a thorough inspection, too.
Ill-fitting front and back doors lose a lot of heat and cost you more money, as you turn the thermostat up to compensate. In addition, ensure all your windows are shut when your heating is on.
Use a Halogen Oven
They are powered by electricity, but, the way they work means food cooks around 50% more quickly when you use one and the cost of running one can be up to 75% cheaper, than a conventional electric oven.
If you’re not keen on the Halogen oven idea, then you could try a slow cooker or pressure cooker. They’re both cheaper to run than a regular oven and have their own, specific benefits to suit personal needs.
“Cooking is an essential activity in most homes, so finding a way to make it a more energy efficient and cheaper process is welcome news for most people,” explains Battersea estate agent Eden Harper. “That’s not to say you should ditch your conventional oven, but varying the way you cook can make a noticeable difference to your electricity bill over the course of a year.”
Quick Tips
As well as the two tips detailed above, there are numerous quick tips that, when you add them together, can increase your energy efficiency and lower your bills.
- Defrost your frozen food in your fridge – it will help keep your fridge colder, which translates in to requiring less power to keep the fridge cold.
- Clean your oven door – so you don’t need to keep opening it to check how the food looks!
- Replace your broken bulbs with LED lights, which are cheaper to run.
- Reheat food in a microwave, as its much quicker and therefore energy efficient, than using the oven.
- When using the kettle, only fill it with as much water as you need, right then.
- Cover hard flooring with a rug to help keep the room warmer.
“There are so many ways to make your home more energy efficient and save money on fuel bills,” concludes central London estate agent LDG. And as you can see, they don’t have to be big changes, an accumulation of smaller changes is often easier to do and will still ensure you’re using energy more efficiently.”
