Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Considering energy usage is something that’s a lot more prevalent in our day to day lives now. Not only is reducing our energy usage a recipe for a healthier bank account, but it also reduces our carbon footprint and is therefore better for the environment. But how can we make our homes more energy efficient?

Turn Down The Heating

Especially when you’re not in the house! Turning the thermostat down can massively reduce the amount of energy you use on a day to day basis, because really, you don’t need the heating on high if you’re out at work all day, do you? By dropping the temperature by a mere 3-5 degrees, it will decrease your monthly utility bill, which not only saves you money, but if you’re looking to sell up quickly on sites such asreadysteadysell, it’ll make your home more appealing by boosting its energy performance certificate score. A study shows that if you’re able to lower your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees during the work day, you’ll save 5-15% each year on your bill.

Seal Your Windows

Something that will help you along the way in reducing your heating usage, is making sure that your windows are well sealed. If you find them to be drafty in the colder weather, you could consider adding weatherstripping around all of the frames. This is an easy and inexpensive way to save on energy costs.

Invest in Low-Flow Showerheads

Sure, power showers are appealing, but at the end of the day are they really a necessity? By installing more eco-friendly showerheads into your home, it will improve its overall water efficiency. With low-flow showerheads having a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute, as opposed to the average which has a flow rate of 5 gallons per minute, it’s safe to say that you’ll be helping the planet along by making this small change.

Unplug your Chargers

Sometimes referred to as energy vampires, unused phone and battery chargers that are left plugged in and unused really do live up to that name, and drain unnecessary energy.

According to studies, the average charger when unused consumes 0.26 watts of energy, and when plugged into your phone consumes 2.24 watts. One charger alone may not make a great deal of difference, but collectively, unused chargers left to drain your energy can be responsible for up to 10% of your energy bill.

Start a Compost Pile

This is particularly beneficial if you’re an avid gardener. Compost is simply the result of organic waste that’s kept in a pile that decomposes over time, so why not add your fruit and vegetable waste to that pile? Not only does this produce a great fertiliser for your lawn, but will reduce the amount of waste you produce on a regular basis.

Install Solar Panels

If you’re looking to make a bigger investment, installing solar panels is an ever increasingly popular method of generating electricity in the home, the green way. Though not initially the cheapest option, in December 2018, the government confirmed that they intended to end solar panel incentive payments on March 31st 2019, and they do have many benefits. Not only do they help you save money on your energy bills in the long term, but they promote lower fossil fuel usage and you might even qualify for tax incentives. Installed typically on your roof, they generate energy from light, even on the gloomiest of British days!

Turn Off Unnecessary Water

Do you find yourself leaving the tap running for no reason, say for example when you’re brushing your teeth? It’s the habit of a lifetime, but turning it off and saving small amounts of water like this will make a difference. Bathing typically uses up to 80 litres of water, whereas a conventional shower would use only 62 litres. Making the choice to shower over bathing is a simple enough decision, and will make a difference. Also consider when it’s necessary to use your washing machine, and when it isn’t. If you can, try not to put a half

load of washing in, and wait until you need to do a full one. Likewise, if you normally use your tumble dryer to dry your clothes, it uses a lot of energy. If it’s a dry and breezy day, opt for hanging your clothes outside to dry instead.

Energy efficiency doesn’t have to be expensive, it just requires a little more thought about how you live on a day to day basis. So save yourself money, and help the planet along the way. If everyone followed just a few of these simple steps, it would make an enormous difference.