It’s no secret that energy bills are skyrocketing through the roof right now. Prices are the highest they’ve ever been and the current financial state of the country is in a state of instability. There is also a lot of pressure on homeowners and business owners to think about their carbon footprint. The aim is to strive towards a greener future by making small, incremental changes to our energy usage at home. Although this may take a little extra thought compared to usual, it’s a great way to save money on your monthly utility bills.
So, as well as positively contributing to the environment, you can also continue to reduce your monthly outgoings. With this in mind, here are some of the most effective ways to bring down your utility bills for the long term.
Cut Down On Your Air Conditioning Usage
Depending on where you live and the general climate, you may find that air conditioning is an everyday utility that you simply couldn’t function without. With that being said, there is always space for mindfulness when it comes to using air conditioning constantly. Running a fan for a long period of time is a much cheaper method to circulate cool air around your home, although it may not have quite the same effect. If you can switch from air conditioning to a fan you can expect your utility bill to be a tenth of the price.
Switch off Standby Options
It may be convenient to leave your television running on standby in the background, but this adds up significantly over the course of a year. If you’re unsure how to switch off these devices and appliances around your home check the instructions guides and save yourself a tonne of money in the long run.
Turn Off The Lights
Your immediate response when walking into a new room in your home is to turn on the lights. It’s instilled in you that you need to have the lights on at all times, but that’s simply not the case. Now that summer is here, there is much more daylight in the morning and during the evenings too, so you may not need to switch on your lights until very much later in the day. If you have automatic lighting timers you may want to reevaluate these to make sure you’re not using an unnecessary amount of energy on these devices.
Be Savvier in The Kitchen
The kitchen is probably the room in your home that uses the most energy, especially if you regularly use the oven, kettle and other energy zapping appliances. As a homeowner, you’re probably the first person to admit that you put a little too much water in your kettle from time to time, so why not change your habits and only add the amount you actually need for your morning coffee or cup of tea? This will reduce your energy usage significantly and have a positive effect on your overall bills.
Use the Tumble Dryer Sparingly
As the summer months edge closer, you need to be making the most of the sunshine and soaking in those bright rays as much as possible. As much as you like to sit out and bask in the sunshine, so do your clothes! Allowing your washing to dry naturally in the sun will provide you with so many energy saving benefits. It means that you’re not turning to the tumble dryer which is notoriously expensive to keep up and running. Fresh laundry that is dried outside is also much more pleasant to smell too, which is a win win for everyone in your household!.
Insulate Your Home
Making sure that your home is properly insulated is one of the most effective methods you can implement which will reduce your utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint. You can either opt for a professional to come and improve the insulation in your home, or you can try DIY methods. One of the simplest things you can do is reduce draughts in your home by sealing your doors and windows. This is very cheap and simple to do, so why not give it a try for yourself?
Opt for Showers over Baths
When it’s warmer outside, you should try and crank down the temperature of your showers and baths if possible. If you’re trying to keep cool from the rays of the midday sun you can opt for a cooler temperature overall, instead of a scolding hot one. A cold shower is a huge cost saving measure as it requires much less energy to heat up the water. In addition to this, you may also want to say “no” to baths and opt for a quick shower instead. Try to install a shower timer into your bathroom so that you’re notified when your five minutes is up. You would be very surprised how quickly you can actually shower when you are being mindful of your water consumption. Be sure to get everyone in your household involved too so that the impact is even greater!
Stop Using Your Hose Pipe and Sprinklers
Although they’re a very useful way to keep your garden fresh and watered, hose pipes and sprinklers are high powered devices that use up a lot of water. Much like you’re switching to showers instead of baths, you should try and use water mindfully outside too. Spending a fortune on keeping your flowers fresh and your lawn luscious and green may come at a cost to your utility bills.
Take Home Message
Some of the ideas mentioned above are more appropriate for certain seasons than others, but each one will positively contribute towards a more eco-friendly home. If you’re hoping to live greener and find effective ways to reduce your bills, these methods will help you to achieve this. Hopefully, you can discover the ideas that work well for your household so that you can implement them right away. The result? Reduce energy usage, lower utility bills and a more eco-friendly outlook on day to day living at home!
