As the nights draw in and the temperatures drop, some of us reach for the thermostat and the light switches. But energy prices keep rising and many of us worry about soaring energy bills during the winter. Luckily there are ways that you can save money, and a lot of the methods aren’t expensive. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average three-bedroom semi-detached house could save £302 a year simply by employing these 6 measures.
- Draught exclusion
Many homeowners overlook the simplest and cheapest energy saving solution: draught proofing. Householders forget that keyholes, letter boxes and old extractor fans are all contributing to draughts in the home. All you need to do is go to your local DIY store and buy strips to plug the gaps. Even if you pay someone else to draught-proof for you, you can still save a lot of money.
- Double glazing
Double glazing is a great energy saving measure as you can reduce the draughts in your home as well as help to block out the sound from outside. Energy-efficient double glazing could save you £2,200 over 20 years, so if you’ve still got single glazing it’s worth upgrading to keep your home warm and improve the look of your property.
- Wall Insulation
Insulation is a great way to save energy. If you live in a Victorian house, your walls will probably be just one layer of bricks, so you will need to add insulation to the inside or the outside. If you live in a mid-century house, you will have walls with two layers of bricks and a cavity in the middle. You can have your cavity walls insulated for around £500 and it will save you an average of £150 a year, so it is well worth doing.
- Replace your boiler
If you have an old boiler, it won’t be as efficient as the modern condensing boilers, so swap your old boiler for a new one that has at least a 90% efficiency rating.
- Energy-saving bulbs
Whilst energy-saving light bulbs will cost you about £3 each compared to 50p for a normal bulb, you will save around £9 on your electricity bill and up to £100 over the bulb’s lifetime.
- Smart meters
By 2020, smart meters will have been offered to every home in the country. They will give real-time information on how much you’re spending on your gas and electricity. They also send the information straight to your energy supplier, so you won’t have to take meter readings. The best thing is, you will only pay for the energy you use, and you’ll be able to see the impact your energy saving measures are having.