Indeed, it is estimated that households are using, on average, an extra 25% more electricity and 17% more gas each day during lockdown, with around 17 million people now working from home and the kids at home too.

Across a year this could lead to increased bills for people on poor energy tariffs by almost £200 – or around £16 a month. 

If this is a concern, we’ve put together some top tips on managing your energy use.

Not using it? Then switch it off and unplug it

An incredible 1 in 3 devices such as TVs, kettles and the like are left on standby and, believe it or not, a lot of electricity is wasted through leaving appliances on standby and not being unplugged.

All this background electricity is known as ‘phantom load’ and can lead to an extra £140 added to your bills over a year.

Remember even the lights use energy so when you leave a room turn them off!

Charging laptops and other electrical devices are a big culprit in this, most of us leave things charging for hours. One top tip is to charge it once a day and then use it until it is running low on power. Most devices will run for six hours.

Your tumble dryer is the culprit for consuming the most energy per use so use this lovely weather to get your clothes drying outside.

Wash clothes at 30 degrees. 90% of your washing machine’s energy use, goes in heating up hot water for hot washes, try and keep these to a minimum.

Cooking on the hob? Use a lid and the right size pan. This can decrease the amount of energy wasted significantly.

Or alternatively, use a microwave or slow cooker instead of a cooker which is generally a more efficient way to heat food.

And finally, while the weather at least has been kind to us, most of the time, meaning we don’t need heating right now,  most of us running thermostats would still benefit from turning it down by just one degree, which can save up to £80 a year. This coupled with only heating the rooms you need can all help. Of course, during the spring and summer months you can use Nature’s best energy generator the sun to take some of the load off.

Make sure you have the most competitive tariff

You can certainly take control of the costs by ensuring you have the best tariffs.

Lots of energy companies offer great deals around the best tariffs so use some time to shop around. We suggest visiting MoneySavingExpert.com  for the most up-to-date, independent recommendations.

If you are interested in greener tariffs check out companies such as Agile Octopus which is a 100% green electricity with plunge prices. You need a smart meter and pay for every 30 minutes of the day a different tariff depending on supply and demand for your region to the grid- great for EV’s, batteries and also sunamps and heat pumps.

Sources:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-8303347/Ten-ways-cut-energy-bills-usage-soars-lockdown.html

https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/renovate/finance/a31986756/save-energy-money-working-from-home/

The post Save Energy & Avoid Higher Bills During Lockdown appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

Make the most of your heating controls

Your boiler’s timer or programmer allows you to set when your heating comes on and when it goes off. Make sure you use it to ensure that your space and water heating are on only when you need to them to be on and that you are not burning fuel unnecessarily.

Turn down your room thermostat by just 1°C. It’s unlikely you’ll notice the difference but the Energy Savings Trust reports it could save you up to £75 year.

If you want full control of your heating from wherever you are, new Smart Thermostats connect to the internet and let you control your heating remotely with your smartphone, tablet or computer. They are quick to install, a survey is not usually required and they help you to implement more precise and personalized heating schedules and so heat your home as efficiently as possible.

Get your boiler serviced

Getting your boiler serviced annually can save you money as it reduces the risk of boiler breakdowns. In addition to a service, powerflushing your central heating system can prevent increased energy bills because it clears the debris in your system that are making your boiler work harder.

Cut your electricity usage

An obvious trick to save money is to turn your lights and appliances off when they are not needed. We are all guilty of accidently leaving them on but the Energy Savings Trusts reckons this alone could save you £15 on your annual energy bills.

Another excellent way to cut your energy bills and help to save the planet is to swap your light bulbs. Click here to read a simple explanation of a few of the different options available.

When it’s time for a brew make sure you only use your kettle to boil the water you need. The Energy Savings Trust estimates that by only boiling the water you need as opposed to filling up the kettle every time you could save around £7 year!

Don’t cover your radiators

Never put anything in front of your raditors and that their surrounding areas are always clear. Putting furniture in front or covering radiators with long curtains will block the heat, reducing your comfort levels. if your radiators are fitted to an outside wall fixing reflective foil on the wall behind them can reduce heat loss through the wall.

Use draught excluders and curtains

Using draught excluders can cut the heat loss through doors, windows and letterboxes. Lined or heavier fabric curtains can also provide excellent insulation just don’t let them cover your radiators.

All these little points, when put into action could save you a lot on your energy bills. Give it a go and let us know if you notice a difference!

The post Top Energy Saving Tips appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.