With rising energy costs, it is prudent to consider ways that you can reduce your consumption. Often significant reductions can be made by doing very little. Let’s look at ways in which an electricity bill can be lowered.
- If you have been with your energy provider for a number of years, there is a chance that you are on a higher tariff and it may be a good idea to organise a switch of providers. This can be done very easily through many of the comparison sites but try a few of the sites before making a decision and look for the provider who would provide a best fit for you, some offer telephone support and some only offer online support etc so work out what is best for you.
- You can also save on your electric bill if say you use the same supplier for both your gas and electricity, often suppliers will be prepared to offer you a better tariff if they can supply both.
- How do you currently pay? Paying by certain payment methods are preferable and again some suppliers offer discounts for certain payment methods.
- If you have electric heating, turning the heating down just by a small amount could reduce your costs quite significantly. Insulating your house to keep more of the heat in could also be a good idea and in some cases grants may be available to help you with this.Turn the heating off in rooms which are not used is also a wise decision. Standard electric heating can be expensive so if cash permits, it may be wise to look at alternative options which in the long run may save you money.
- Long, hot showers can impact heavily on electricity use and if this is a regular habit, it may be worth changing to an energy efficient shower head.
- Have you thought about the electricity that is wasted by having appliances on standby, switch off instead.
- Switch off the lights as you leave a room and use low energy light bulbs in your light fittings. Dimmer switches are also a good option as often lights do not need to be on at full intensity.
- You could hang dry your clothes instead of using a tumble dryer.
- Run your dishwasher on a full load instead of running it every day with small amounts.
- Refrigerators use a lot of electricity so if you have an old style one, it may be prudent to replace it with a more energy efficient model. Keeping your fridge well serviced and maintained can also keep it working efficiently and thereby using less electricity.
- Have a meter installed to measure your electric consumption. In the UK they are known as Smart Meters.
- Switch to a gas hob, electric hobs are more expensive to run.
- Switch off the TV when no-one is in the room to watch it!
- Cook with energy efficient materials such as glass and ceramic and cook in batches. Use the right size of pan with a lid and the right size of ring when cooking.
With a bit of thought and vigilance it is not too difficult to make some easy changes that in the long run will take pounds off your annual electric bill.
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