Energy use - have an eco-friendly Christmas
16 December 2022
Christmas is a time of indulgence. It’s a time to eat mince pies, drink mulled wine and relax. It’s also a time spent at home, with the TV on in the warmth.
On Christmas day alone, the UK uses nearly £66 million of electricity. This amount of electricity could power 43,000 TVs for an entire year*.
Usually, the UK’s use of energy actually decreases over Christmas as schools, factories, shops and businesses are closed.
However, this means that, if you’re hosting Christmas this year, you’ll be using more energy at home.
Whilst we deserve to relax and indulge, it’s important for us to keep the environment in mind. Not to mention keeping an eye on our energy use, especially with the sharp rise in energy costs. By being mindful of our energy usage during the festivities, we’ll be able to save money and lower our carbon footprint at the same time.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t put a turkey in the oven or keep the Christmas tree lights on.
Here are 6 simple ways to keep your energy usage low, so you can have an eco-friendly Christmas this year.
Light up with LED
One of the most exciting parts of the festive period is switching the Christmas tree lights on. To make it even more exciting, opting for Christmas decorations that use LED lights will cost 83%** less than incandescent lights, saving you around £10.
Whilst this isn’t a huge saving, you’ll definitely be doing your bit to protect the environment, and you’ll have an extra tenner in your pocket once the festivities have finished – it’s a win win!
Save your energy at the switch
Another incredibly simple way to save energy and money is switching your gadgets off at the plug.
Whilst your appliance isn’t fully on, it does go into standby. This means that it is waiting, ready for it to be turned on. This alone uses electricity.
By fully turning off the plug’s power, you can save up to £80 a year***.
Make use of your Christmas jumpers
It’s tempting to whack the heating up during the frosty festive period. However, this can cost a lot of money.
By turning down your thermostat by just 1°C, this can save you around £65 a year****. For every degree you turn your thermostat down to, this can save you approximately 4% on your heating bills****.
If you’re feeling slightly chilly, then make use of your Christmas jumper and pop extra layers on. It’s such a simple thing to do, and a great excuse to make use of your cosy jumpers this winter.
Keep the heat in the kitchen
Whilst it can be tempting to open the oven door to check on your turkey, try to refrain from doing so.
By opening the oven door, it will quickly lose heat, making it work harder to keep the temperature up.
What’s more, keeping the lids on your pans whilst you’re cooking will use 10% less energy*. Not only will you be saving on energy costs, but your food will cook quicker, much to your stomach’s delight!
Radiator boosters are the perfect present
Why not ask your friends for a radiator booster for Christmas?
This simple, eco-friendly device is a silent fan that sits behind your radiator. It blows heat around your room faster, meaning that your heating won’t have to be on for as long. It can cut heating time by 50% and can save the average household a whopping £140 a year*****.
Recommended by the Energy Saving Trust, the radiator booster is a fantastic present as, not only is it affordable, it’ll save on energy bills and will help the environment.
Get the board games out
Watching TV is one of the highlights of Christmas. Sitting around the tele with the family, with the chocolate box at arm’s length, hugging a hot cup of cocoa, is what we all look forward to.
With the average household watching a whopping 62 hours****** of TV over Christmas, this will reflect in a larger energy bill at the end of the month.
Rather than staying glued to the tele, why not dust off the board games? By turning off the TV, you’ll be shaving pounds off your monthly energy costs.
What’s more, you’ll be spending real quality time with your loved ones over a classic game of Monopoly.
How can Swale Heating help?
Whether you’re hosting a big family Christmas, or having a quiet one, it’s important to make sure that your central heating is on top form.
You certainly don’t want your heating to break down over the festive period.
The best way to ensure that this won’t happen is to keep on top of your boiler maintenance. By having an annual boiler check by one of our Gas Safe registered engineers, you can be rest assured that your central heating system will be in tip-top condition for the holidays.
Thankfully, Swale Heating are here to keep your home warm. We offer several boiler cover and service plans to suit your needs and budget. Feel free to read about our boiler plans here.
You can also read about how to care for your boiler here.
Rely on us to keep you warm, and Merry Christmas from all of us at Swale Heating.
Information sources:
*****Protect the Planet
******Independent