Now that summer is officially over and the cold winter months draw ever closer, there’s no doubt energy bills will be on the minds of many. To put your worries at ease, here are some of the top tips to help you save energy as the nights grow longer.

Now there are some obvious ones – but the classics work. Not leaving electric appliances such as TVs or laptops on standby is a sure-fire way of saving energy in time where you inevitably use more energy on heating. You can also deal with any draught prone areas in your home and do your washing at a lower temperature – but let’s have a look at some of the most effective ways to save energy over the winter.

Switch to energy saving lightbulbs

Although switching every light bulb in your house for more expensive LED bulbs seems like it could be a bit on the pricey side, the newer energy saving light bulbs last considerably longer than regular ones and can therefore be cheaper as an overall investment. Many have a rated life of upto 50,000 hours – that’s 12 hours a day for over 11 years! Not only will you not have to regularly replace them, but they use so much less electricity than regular lightbulbs, so you’ll be making even more savings on your energy bill.

Don’t default to heating

Obviously, this is a personal choice, but if you are someone who is particularly environmentally conscious (or money conscious for that matter) there are alternatives to simply turning up the thermostat. Dress for the occasion! As winter draws in, maybe it’s time to wear a jumper inside and dig out those fluffy socks at the bottom of your drawer. Turning your heating down by just 1 degrees could reduce your bill by 10%.

Service your boiler

If your central heating runs on gas or oil, you should aim to get it serviced regularly once a year by a qualified professional to ensure it’s running efficiently as possible. Older boilers can become inefficient over time and could be costing you considerable amounts of money by hiking your heating bills. If you think you may be due a new boiler, the beginning of winter may be the best time to do it as you can make the most of efficiency when it matters most.

Renewable energy

Now, this one is obviously quite the investment, but also has the potential to save you thousands in the long run. Installing solar panels is becoming increasingly popular in conjunction with the ongoing climate crisis and there’s never been a more critical time to join the fight. Perhaps you managed to save up some money during the pandemic ready for a rainy day (or a sunny one) and could use it to finance the installation. You could also look at other financing options such as remortgaging in order to save thousands in energy bills in the long term while also doing your bit to combat climate change.

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