Top 10 expert tips to help you reduce your electric bill this winter

1 – Use energy-efficient appliances

It’s always worth investing in household appliances that are built with cutting costs and being more efficient in mind. Old appliances can often work in overdrive, meaning they can be one of the biggest factors in causing high electric costs.

2 – Install a dimmer switch on your lights

Now that the mornings and nights are darker for longer, we’ll be using lights within the home more. Lights are one of the biggest contributors to electricity bills, so installing a dimmer switch is a great way to lower the amount of energy your lights are using.

3 – Opt for a tankless heater instead of a water one

The biggest advantage of a tankless heater is that it only works when you ask it to. Opting for a heater like this is a guaranteed way to reduce the amount you’re spending on electricity, as it’s only operating for a set period throughout the day, unlike a water tank which is almost always functioning.

4 – Turn off the heated drying system on your dishwasher

Many homeowners are unaware of this, but a dishwasher will heat the air it produces to dry the dishes when it doesn’t need to. By turning this setting off, your dishes will still be able to dry whilst in the dishwasher, which in turn will help you to reduce your spending.

5 – Don’t overcrowd your fridge and freezer

When you have too much food in your fridge or freezer, the appliance struggles to keep the items of food cold, which results in it working harder in order to do its job. With this in mind, it’s important to not overcrowd your fridge or freezer, so the items inside can be kept at the right temperature and you’re only using the amount of electricity you actually need.

6 – Get your entire home insulated

Better insulation keeps the heat in, in the winter and the cool air, in the summer.

7 – Program your home’s thermostat

Set your thermostat temperatures to go up or down at different times of the day so that you are not under or overusing it at any, one time. To lower your electric bill in winter in an apartment, a relatively inexpensive electronic thermostat could pay for itself in a few months—or better yet, get your landlord to install it.

8 – Weatherstrip your windows

By keeping cool air out, your heating unit will not have to work as hard.

9 – Use blinds and curtains to keep the sun out, or in

When the blinds and curtains are closed in the winter, they keep the heat from your heating systems in. Also, opening the windows when the sun is out, lets the sunshine in and warms your home.

10 – Keep your windows clean

The sun will illuminate and heat up your home more efficiently through clean windows. The more dirt that is there, the less surface area the sun will be able to make use of.

Rick Hoskin, founder of Filter King said the following:

“As consumers ourselves and with years of experience in the industry, myself and the team understand how expensive the cost of electricity can be.

“We wanted to share these hacks to make people aware that there is an endless number of changes you can make within your home that will benefit you financially and not all come with an initial cost attached to them.

“Whether it’s drying your laundry outdoors or installing dimmer switches on your lights, it’s worth getting to grips with the simple changes you can make which will result in lowering your monthly outgoings and becoming more financially savvy all around.”

You can view all of the 75 ways to lower your electric bill here.