Everyone knows it’s important to be energy efficient but getting round to making the changes in our lives always seems like a hassle. Well in these 10 simple steps you can benefit not only reduce your CO2 emissions but also reduce your electricity bill.
1) Don’t leave your electronics on standby! It sounds so simple and yet it’s so easily forgotten. This doesn’t just mean your TV either; PC monitors, stereos, game consoles and set top boxes all waste energy (up to two thirds of the amount when active) in standby mode. By making the effort to switch it off at the plug you’ll be making a great saving. So just remember: if the light is on the energy consumption has not gone!
2) Unplug your chargers. According to Generous.org.uk studies show that 95% of the energy used by the UK’s mobile phone chargers is wasted. And when you think about all the chargers in your household that are plugged in now needlessly, all that wasted energy and wasted money adds up.
3) If your plug sockets are in hard to reach places or it’s just too much hassle to turn off your electronics at the plug then you can buy items such as remote control sockets which are designed to combat standby. You can plug a remote socket into the mains socket and then plug an appliance into it. After this you can use a remote control unit to switch that appliance off at the mains so it never has to be left on standby again!
4) Remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room. It’s such a simple method to save money and it’s so effective. Also try not to use your lights unnecessarily, for instance in a naturally lit room. By doing this you can save around £25 per year according to a study by Big Green Switch.
5) Switch to energy saving light bulbs. They now come in all shapes and sizes to replicate your current bulbs (even working with dimmer switches) and also could save you around £3 a year per bulb! What’s more than can last up to 10 times longer than your normal bulb.
6) When using the kettle try to boil only the amount of water you need. The water takes much quicker to boil and of course you save money too. You could purchase an Eco Kettle which ensures you only boil the exact amount of water you need every time without hassle as you will soon make the money back from your reduced electricity bill.
7) Tumble dryers use a lot of energy and because washing does not always need to be tumble dried a lot of this energy is wasted. If the weather is good hang your clothes up to dry. Not only will you save money from not using your tumble dryer but you’ll also save time and money from not using the iron!
8) If are considering replacing any of your household appliances such as cookers, ovens, washing machines and fridges then go for an energy efficient model. You can recognise these products as they have the “Energy Saving Recommended” logo on them. The extra cost you pay for these will soon be covered by the amount saved on your bill.
9) There are many ways you can save energy and money whilst cooking. Try to cook with a full oven and to reduce cooking time even further, thaw your foods before you put them in the oven. Also, keep the lids on your saucepans when boiling and steaming.
10) If you find it difficult to remember to follow these steps then a real-time energy monitor may be what you need. Real-time energy monitors link to your meter cable and read the amount of energy coming into your home. This is then displayed on an easy to read screen which could tell you how many kilowatts you’re using or give you a projection of your monthly electricity expenditure. With this constant visual reminder it could remind you to follow the steps above and be well on your way to saving pounds of your electricity bill.
