Winter energy saving tips

With the cold really starting to sweep across the country, and Christmas becoming ever closer, every penny saved to put towards the Christmas feast is always greatly appreciated.

So, here we have a number of little tips and tricks on the best way to make the most of your energy and how to lower your costs as much as possible;

• Don’t leave your heating on all day - There seems to be a common myth that leaving your heating on a low temperature all day will save you money, compared to turning the heating up high when necessary. However, this isn’t true. The most cost efficient method of controlling your heating is to only turn it on when it's needed.

• Bleeding radiators - If you find that your heating isn't working as efficiently or effectively as it should, it could be that radiators need bleeding. You should aim to bleed your radiators once a year, and we even have a guide with steps on how to bleed your radiators here.
• Tin foil behind your radiators- Having tin foil, (with the shinier side facing towards the room) behind the back of the radiator is a very useful method that can be used to reflect any heat lost out the back of your radiator, back into your room. This means that your room will get up to the desired temperature faster, allowing you to turn the thermostat off sooner.
• Unplugging chargers when not in use - All different types of chargers use energy when they are plugged into a plug socket, even when not connected to a device. So, unplugging your chargers when you’re not charging any devices would result in less energy being used.

• Turn down the temperature of your water heater – With the colder temperatures outside, keeping the temperature of your water heater as high as possible could lead to scalding. So, turn down the temperature of your water heater to lower your energy use.
  
  
• Loft insulation- Without any insulation, roofs can lose up to 25% of the household temperature, so insulation would be able to prevent this and lead to less energy usage throughout the winter months.
  
  
• Keep windows and doors locked - keeping your windows and doors locked is a great way to prevent any unwanted outside air to sneak into your home. Locking your windows or doors means that there is less airflow.

• Upgrading to a new thermostat – Newer thermostats can be more precise when it comes to the amount of energy you want to be using in your home, and gives you the opportunity to alter the temperature with ease. If you would like to enquire about an installation of a new thermostat, feel free to call us on 0800 731 33 44.
  
  

With all these useful tips on how to use less energy, saving the pennies just in time for the festive period might have just become a bit easier.