When it comes to household expenses, your utility bills are generally the main bulk of the cost. Electricity, gas and water are vital to pleasant, comfortable home life but can cause your monthly bills to soar if left unchecked. Here are some tips for saving on your utility bills each month.
Electricity
Electricity is everywhere in a home, from your lights to your appliances to your entertainment. As such, bills can rise without you realising. Keep on top of your electricity by:
- Turn off any lights that aren’t in use. Replace any old bulbs with energy-saving versions.
- Enhancing natural light by opening curtains whenever possible to minimise artificial light usage.
- Unplugging or securely turning off any appliances that have a standby mode when not in use.
- Taking shorter showers, as hot showers can bleed energy.
- Use an electricity monitor, which can track your energy usage live.
- Turning down the temperature of your washing machine – a cycle at 30 degrees instead of 40 can save £9 a year.
Water
Your water bill is sometimes a fixed rate, but is often negotiable or can be metered. If you’d like to save money on water, do the following:
- Keep track of your water usage – from running the tap too long when brushing your teeth to staying in the shower too long.
- Get any low water pressure problems fixed ASAP, as these can affect your bill.
- Try not to have too many baths, as these use far more water than a short shower.
- Hand wash dishes rather than use a dishwasher when possible.
Gas
Gas is a fairly essential fuel, especially in the winter, but usage can be cut down fairly easily with the right precautions. Here are some tips with this in mind:
- Wrap up warm in the home with blankets, dressing gowns and throw rugs.
- Use an electric blanket to quickly warm yourself in bed at night without resorting to heating the full room.
- Ensure your windows and doors are properly insulated. Use a draft stopper when possible to prevent cold breezes from getting into your home.
- An old boiler may be costing you more year on year than it would replace it. Consider a newer, more efficient model if you can afford the upfront cost.
- Ensure you’re not losing heat through the roof by checking your insulation.
- Efficient double glazing helps prevent heat loss – so make sure you’ve got modern windows or consider having them installed if not.
- Use rugs to cover up cold laminate floors and prevent heat loss through the ground.
With a bit of foresight and a few general adjustments, you can save lots of money on your yearly bills. While these savings may not seem massive at first, they’ll certainly add up as time goes by.
