With the skyrocketing cost of energy, you’re in very good company if you’re thinking about how to make your home more energy-efficient to save money.
With the energy and cost of living crisis going as far as pricing some people out of enough power, many are justifiably worried about how to keep on top of their energy bills. One way to do this is to make sure your home isn’t losing energy unnecessarily – here are four ways to save energy and shrink your monthly bill.
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Carry out a home energy audit
Also known as a home energy assessment, a home energy audit will help you find where you’re losing heat and/or using more energy than necessary in general. Doing a basic audit yourself – like comparing your energy bills each month and tracking how and how often you use electrical appliances – is a great start. But investing in a professional assessor could give you a more thorough understanding of your home.
Home Heating Guide advises you to do an assessment ahead of winter, giving you time to make any necessary changes to your home before you have to start switching your heating on.
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Find a better energy supplier
With the rise in wholesale energy prices hitting energy providers first, several have ended up having to exit the market over the last few months. Thankfully, more stable companies like Utility Warehouse have been able to weather the storm while still offering comparatively cheaper fixed-rate tariffs.
As well as switching energy suppliers to get a better deal, some companies let you upgrade to smart meters at no extra cost. Smart meters come with a free in-home display that shows you your energy use in near-real-time, and in pounds and pence. So you can see how you’re using energy in your home, and take steps to save more. For example, you can check your display before and after running the tumble dryer to see how much it costs and choose to air-dry clothes more often.
Customers who are billed monthly benefit from smart meters sending automatic, regular readings too, removing the need for estimated readings when you forget to take a reading yourself, so bills are always accurate. And for customers who pay for energy as they go, smart meters let them set budgets and spending alerts.
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Insulate your loft
Heat rises, so it may come as no surprise that a good quarter of a home’s heat is lost through the roof. Depending on the structure of your home, you may be able to lay down insulation yourself. But if you have problems with dampness and condensation, remember to hire professionals to take care of this before you start.
While some of these methods involve spending money, the amount you could save in the long run could pay for the improvements many times over. And remember – the sooner you start taking measures to improve the energy efficiency of your home, the sooner you can start saving energy and money.
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