13 Money Saving Tips to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home

As climate control specialists, we understand more than most the importance of a cosy home during the winter months but heating your home results in increased energy bills which isn’t ideal…especially when UK homes are already feeling the pinch this winter due to rises in fuel costs!

But you don’t need to worry about those things – CosyRoof are giving you an early Christmas present for 2013…13 money saving tips to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

1. Heating timers – it seems an obvious one but some many people neglect to use their heating timers. Setting a timer means you won’t be wasting money heating a house that’s vacant whilst you’re at work or when you have to dash out at the last minute on an unexpected errand.
2. Radiator requirements – are all the radiators in your house turned on? That’s a money waster right there…only heat the areas you’re using for any length of time. Spare rooms, kitchens, hallways & corridors can all be switched off to save some pennies.
3. Feel the heat – if you’ve switched on your heating, don’t then block it out by covering radiators with clothes or towels you had drying there the day before! Free up your radiators. That goes for furniture as well…pull furniture away from heating appliances so heat can disperse – this means you won’t have to have your heating on as long to fully heat a room.
4. Close doors – again, simple but so effective & something the majority of people fail to do. Don’t just ‘close them over’, close them tight to keep heat in. This will also reduce the length of time it takes to fully heat a room.
5. Curtain Calls – curtains & blinds are aesthetically pleasing in a room but they also have practical functionality too! Close blinds & pull curtains when heating is on to block out draughts & lock in the heat.
6. Draught excluders – energy efficiency in a home is significantly reduced due to gaps in windows & doors. Sealing these gaps professionally is your best long-term option but in the short term, many home interior companies sell a range of draught excluders that will match or compliment your existing décor.
7. Turn your temperature down – yes, that’s right, down! Heating your home can be up to 10% more cost effective if you reduce your temperature by just one degree. Most adults should be at a cosy level of warmth in a room of 18C.
8. Water Waste – 14%-25% of the energy consumed in a home is through heating water. If you leave a hot water tap dripping after use, that’s a heck of a lot of water waste – enough to fill half a bath per week in fact!
9. Standby – think how much money electricity companies make solely from home appliances alone that are on ‘standby’. If they’re not needed in the immediate future, turn off anything with that little red light! Unplug tv’s, kettles, mobile phone charges, computers & laptops to reduce your electricity bills.
10. Energy saving bulbs – according to Uswitch, lighting equates to around 10%-20% of your electricity bill. You can significantly reduce your electricity consumption by switching to energy efficient light bulbs.
11. Smart lighting – if energy bulbs aren’t your thing, why not introduce energy saving devices instead? Motion sensor lights & dimmer switches are ‘fancy’ lighting options people put in place to add something to a room but they’ll also add pounds to your pockets by reducing your electricity consumption. Combine lighting devices with energy saving light bulbs for double the impact!
12. Holiday lighting – Festive lights account for a substantial portion of your December energy bills but we’re not suggesting be a scrooge & forfeit Christmas light altogether…just make the switch to LED holiday lights. LED lights are 75% more efficient & last 25 times longer than standard lights.
13. Do a home energy check – see how energy efficient your home really is with a home energy check. It’ll provide you with recommendations on how to improve your home’s energy efficiency & ways to reduce your energy bills. It will also give you some ammunition to tackle your energy providers with when it comes to negotiating your new energy tariff for 2014.

Be cost-effectively cosy this Christmas with CosyRoof money saving tips on how to heat your home for less!