Here are 12 fantastic home hacks to help you reduce your energy use
Saving made SMART: Here are 12 fantastic home hacks to help you reduce your energy use – and how to check if they actually work!
Ad Feature by Smart Energy GB
Most Brits are worried about the financial impact of higher energy costs, which makes reducing the amount you consume at home more important than ever.
And with green issues a priority for many, being thrifty can help you feel like you’re doing your bit for the planet at the same time as saving precious pennies.
Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to cut your household energy usage without shelling out on expensive products or renovations.
Of course, it’s nice to be able to work out how effective these different methods are and the amount of money they save.
There are lots of easy ways to cut your household energy usage without shelling out on expensive products or renovations
Having a smart meter installed makes it easy to keep track of how much electricity and gas you’re using and the amount it costs – helping you feel more in control of your bills.
They are available at no extra cost from energy suppliers in Britain and come with a handy display which shows energy use in pounds and pence in near real-time.
So, are you ready to start saving?¹ Below are 12 fantastic home hacks to get you started.
1. Say goodbye to standby
Most electrical appliances, like TVs and radios, have a standby mode. This still uses power, so it’s better to switch them off at the wall instead.
There are big savings to be made, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that the average household could cut their bills by up to £60 a year by turning appliances off standby.
One easy way to do this is by going through each room and turning off items at the plug switch. Just be aware that some gadgets like TV recorders may need constant power in order to track and record programmes.
2. Wash clothes at 30°C
It can be tempting to ramp up the heat on washing machines to try and get the best results, but most of the time lower temperatures work just as well.
Changing from 40°C to 30°C works for most items and could use 40 per cent less electricity over the year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
That’s one seriously cool tip!
Tumble dryers use a lot of energy, so hanging up your clothes to dry can result in some significant savings
3. Embrace air drying
Tumble dryers might be convenient, but they use a lot of electricity. So try to air dry instead.
Many people choose to hang their clothes outside, but if the British climate lets you down or you don’t have a garden then inside is fine too.
For the best results, choose a well-ventilated room with the doors and windows open.
Is an air fryer more efficient than an oven? Tests reveal which appliances use the most energy
Knowing which appliances use the most energy at home can help you better manage your usage.
That’s why Smart Energy GB tested six popular household appliances to find out which ones use less energy.
Heated drying rack vs tumble dryer –
Heated clothes airers generally use between 0.2 – 0.3 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy. This means that a standard ten-hour drying session would cost between 60p and 90p*.
On average, tumble dryers use between 1.8 – 5 kWh of energy. So, a one-hour cycle would cost you between 54p and £1.50.
Air fryer vs oven –
The average air fryer uses between 1.4 and 1.7 kWh of energy. This means that having the air fryer on for an hour will cost you between 42p and 51p.
The average oven uses about 2 – 5 kWh of energy. As a result, preheating your oven for 15 minutes and cooking your food for an hour will cost you between 60p and £1.50 an hour.
Electric blanket vs electric heater –
Electric blankets use around 0.15 kWh of energy. So, using an electric blanket will cost you just under 5p per hour.
On average, electric heaters use around 0.65kWh, equal to 22p per hour.
*Electricity costs calculated using the electricity price cap of 30p per kWh (July 2023).
4. Fill your dishwasher
Anyone who’s had to plough through a mass of dirty crockery and cutlery after a big event will know how handy dishwashers can be.
But just like tumble dyers and washing machines they use a lot of energy – so only turn yours on once it is full.
Leaving dirty items for a few days will rarely affect how well the machine will clean them if it’s in good working order.
5. Use eco functions
Manufactures try to make their products more environmentally friendly by including an eco mode.
Heating water consumes the bulk of energy in washing machines and dishwashers, so usually these modes run at a slightly lower temperature.
They work just as well as a normal cycle for most jobs and the energy savings can quickly mount up.
6. Clever charging
A common complaint among smartphone users is how quickly they run out of battery – forcing you to regularly put them on charge. We know, it’s a hassle!
The average smartphone will charge in roughly an hour and a half, so leaving one plugged in overnight wastes energy and can also damage the battery.
Get into the habit of charging during the day, perhaps in the morning or when getting home from work.
7. Cut showers to four minutes
Higher energy prices mean it pays to reduce how long you spend in the shower, and if you’ve got a water meter you could save on water bills too.
With a bit of organisation, it’s easy to have a proper scrub in only four minutes. Just ensure you’ve got your hair products to hand when you get in so you’re not wasting time trying to find them.
Pausing the water to shampoo your hair or apply conditioner will make the four-minute target more achievable. And consider installing a shower timer to keep track.
8. Fit a water efficient shower head
To truly ace energy saving in the shower, you can also fit a special eco shower head.
This works by aerating the flow of water, meaning you can use less hot water while still enjoying a similar shower experience.
You can get hold of these gadgets relatively cheaply, and with the Energy Saving Trust putting the estimated annual saving at £45 a year, you can quickly recoup the cost.
Cutting your shower time to four minutes is a great way to save water and the electricity used to heat it
9. Don’t overfill your kettle
Brits famously love a cup of tea, with 100 million slurped in the UK every day.
Be sure to only fill your kettle to the level you need to avoid wasting energy on heating water you won’t use.
If you’re unsure how much water is required, fill the cups you are using and pour them into the kettle.
10. Defrost your freezer
Ice builds up in freezers over time, leaving some resembling an Arctic glacier.
This isn’t just inconvenient when you’re trying to grab an ice cream on a hot day – it also wastes energy by forcing the motor to work harder and, as a result, use more energy.
Defrosting your freezer can seem like a bit of a hassle, but it will quickly pay off.
Frost free freezers are more efficient because the motor does not have to work as hard
11. Draught proof your home
Pleasant summer days (fingers crossed!) will come as a relief to Brits who were hit with record high heating bills over the winter.
To prepare for temperatures dipping again, now is a great time to go around your home and identify any draughts that could be covered up with draught excluders or some extra insulation.
Good places to check include post boxes, gaps underneath front doors and fireplaces.
12. Reduce your combi boiler temperature
Lots of homes now have combination boilers, which provide heating and hot water from one device.
If you have one, turning the flow temperature down to 60°C when the weather turns colder could save you up to £100 a year.
Flow temperature is the temperature of the water that your boiler sends to radiators. Reducing it won’t noticeably reduce the warmth of your home but may increase the time it takes to reach your thermostat’s target temperature.
‘My smart meter is super simple to use and helps me feel more in control’
Lou, 38, had put off having a smart meter installed because she was worried it would cost her money.
She eventually agreed after her energy company phoned her and said that she was entitled to one at no extra cost.
Now, the personal trainer uses the gadget to monitor how much energy her appliances consume so she can save money by using the least efficient ones as little as possible.
Lou (far right) lives in Guildford with her husband, Ben, 40, and children Edie, 12, and Isla, 9
She also loves no longer having to manually send gas and electricity meter readings to her supplier because the smart meter does this automatically.
‘Getting the smart meter installed was super simple – they just came and fitted it,’ she says.
‘The display tells you how much gas and electricity you’ve used that day, and the amount in pounds.
‘It’s handy to be able to check the display to see exactly how much energy you’re using as it reminds you to switch things off.’
Lou, who lives in Guildford with her husband, Ben, 40, and children Edie, 12, and Isla, 9, uses the smart meter to identify the most energy-hungry appliances.
She says: ‘The most expensive one is the washing machine, so I’ve been trying not to wash everything all the time. We’re also hanging clothes up to dry.
‘The oven uses a lot too, so we’ve been trying to cook several dishes at the same time, as well as using the microwave and the air fryer more often.
‘It’s so simple and allows you to feel more in control. Not having to send in meter readings is another bonus too!’
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² Eligibility may vary.
References
- ^ MailOnline Reporter (www.dailymail.co.uk)