Practical tips to save energy, money, and the environment during the festive season.
Christmas time is one of the most expensive times of the year. On top of presents, food, decorations and more, we also face costs and demand for energy. The UK is a colder country, there is no hiding that, so when winter hits and we are spending more time inside, it can quickly become a necessity to heat and power our homes and keep things well-lit and warm. So how can we do this while saving money, carbon, and the environment?
It all starts with energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency is step one to reducing carbon emissions and shaving a little off your energy bills. Becoming more efficient involves using energy resources wisely, minimising waste and unnecessary energy consumption. For the last few years, we have introduced our SMART (Save Money And Reduce Temperatures) campaign, but this year we have gave it a bit of a refresh and we are introducing the SAVE (Saving And Valuing Energy) campaign to help residents of County Durham cut down on energy waste and save a bit of money.
The SAVE campaign introduces a hero mascot to represent our combined efforts to rescue our environment, and part of our mission is focused on the things we can do in our home to save and value the energy we have and in turn reduce annual costs and our carbon footprint.
So where can we start?
There are many useful tips that you can take on board to improve your energy efficiency at home and reduce household costs. The Energy Savings Trust has many articles and resources across their website. You can also explore more in our previous articles and in our resources section of the website. Here is a few of our favourite tips:
- Switch to LEDs. LED lights use up to 80% less energy than classic halogen bulbs. They also do not heat up or blow so they are much safer too.
- It is easy to forget when you leave a light on, so if this is a situation you end up with often you could purchase plug in timers or smart plugs.
- Make sure to draught proof your home. You can purchase draught blockers from most stores to block up windows doors or any other area where pesky cold seeps through to keep warmth in your home.
- Only heat the room you are using. A lot of wasted energy goes into heating up rooms in your home that are not in use. Invest in thermostatic radiator valves to help with controlling this.
- Turn off electronics and plugs that are not in use. Surprisingly, even if on standby, certain electronics can quickly use and waste energy. If you make sure to turn these off at the wall it could save you up to £20.40 on your energy bills annually.
- Did you know that if you turn your heating and water thermostats down by 1 degree Celsius it could save you an estimated 10% on your energy bill.
- And it is not winter without a nice hot drink, but make sure to only boil as much water as you need, a handy tip is measuring out the water in your mug before putting it in the kettle. Or if you know you are going to use it multiple times a day, instead fill your kettle and use a flask to keep your water hot all day without having to re-boil the kettle.
- Finally, make use of natural light through the day. Although it might not seem like much in the shorter winter days, keep curtains and blinds open can reduce the need to turn on your lights.
These are just a small selection of energy saving tips that can reduce in significant reductions in energy waste and costs across the colder periods. There are, of course, bigger actions you can take such as solar panels or switching to a heat pump, but it is just as important to remember that every little action can make a big difference.
