Category: Energy Bills
A home wouldn’t be a home without the appliances we rely on day to day for entertainment, comfort and convenience. However, while central heating and electricity are essential for modern day living, it’s easy to neglect the level of energy we are actually using. Subsequently, our energy bills are slowly creeping up as we incorporate more smart features into our home – but does it have to be this way? In this article, we will discuss our top 5 tips for keeping your energy bills low.
1. Make the most of natural light
Making the most of natural light sources in your houses comes with a whole host of benefits in addition to reducing the gas and electricity usage. Utilise south-facing windows by opening blinds and curtains in the daytime to bring a comforting warmth to your home.
2. If it’s not being used, switch it off
You’d be surprised at how quickly electricity usage can accumulate if appliances like televisions, games consoles, laptop chargers and smart speakers are left on standby. According to the Energy Saving Trust, households could save around £30 per year by ensuring these devices are unplugged from the mains sockets.
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep an eye on how much you’re spending, as they allow you to understand where energy is being used most frequently in your home, so you can make changes needed to reduce your usage and therefore your utility bills. They form part of a national government programme to reduce carbon emissions from home in the UK. What’s more, you can even set a budget for energy usage and your smart meter will alert you if you are on track or not – allowing you to change your habits.
4. Consider investing in insulation
The level of insulation in your house is a major factor affecting how much of the heat produced from your central heating system is preserved. If you don’t have it already, cavity wall insulation is an essential investment for keeping heating loss to a minimum. In addition, it’s vital to keep your roof well insulated and maintained, as this is also an infamous culprit for heat loss.
5. Keep your boiler well-maintained
If your boiler is more than 15 years old, it is likely to be working at a much less efficient level than it once did when brand new. Replacing a faulty or ineffective central heating system could lead to a drastic decrease in your utility bills as most of the energy produced is used to heat your home.
Getting your boiler serviced on an annual basis is another way of ensuring energy usage isn’t higher than it needs to be, as well as ensuring you avoid unforeseen and costly boiler repairs if there is an outage. At Bailey’s Plumbing & Heating, our experienced engineers are trained in providing fast turn arounds when replacing heating systems – to minimise disruption to your home and lifestyle.
Contact us today to book an engineer visit.