In this article, we will be going over some of the easiest ways to begin saving energy on your home, the building you manage, like House of Fisher have found, or your office using an affordable kit you can find at a brick and mortar hardware store or even online.
1. Water Saving Showerheads
While you may think that opting for a shower over a bath can save you energy, that’s not always true. If you have a high-volume showerhead installed, it could end up using more water than filling an entire bathtub would take. While it’s not going to be a good option for those with an electric shower as they are meant to only heat water you need to use. However, if your shower takes the hot water directly from the hot water tank, you will want to fit a special showerhead advertised as being water efficient. By making this simple swap, you should be able to save nearly £70 on gas alone and £115 on your annual water bills.
2. LED Low Voltage Light Bulbs
By swapping out your existing light bulbs to lower voltage bulbs using LED technology, you should be able to save a lot of energy and money relatively quickly. You will be able to find a lot of different kinds of LED light bulbs at your local supermarket; so, you don’t have to go out of your way to find them. You will find LED technology has matured tremendously over the past few years and they are now found to be as bright as your traditional CFL light bulbs. Therefore, you won’t have to sacrifice anything to begin experiencing the cost savings through more efficient electricity usage. You will find LED bulbs using as much as 90% less energy than halogen bulbs and they are capable of lasting a whopping 50 times longer. Therefore, you can expect to be able to save as much as £35 annually.
3. Smart Power Strips
We tend to use a lot of different extension cables in our daily life to reach our favourite electronics. A lot of the extension cables will waste electricity when you aren’t even using them. Nowadays, you can purchase ‘smart’ power strips which will effectively make it simple to shut off the power to your standby devices. This means you will be able to save electricity much easier and more conveniently. Also, you can utilise the timer function that is built-in which will turn them off while you are sleeping. You will find these strips very affordable starting at just £15 for a basic model. This will ensure you are using energy only when you need it.
4. Seal Gaps Around Your Windows and Doors
If your home is a period property, you are likely to notice draughts. A lot of the newer built homes are properly draught proofed. If you happen to feel the wind in your home, you could be losing a lot of heating energy which could cost you more in heating bills. You want to check all of the gaps in your home from your windows to your doors. This way, you can get rid of leaks. You can do a lot of it yourself using self-adhesive foam and other things to fit in the gaps and seal the smaller draughts. You can also find other products like flexible silicone, keyhole covers and more.
5. Insulate Your Attic
If you are aiming to get rid of any draughts, you will want to look at your loft hatch. Sealing this area off can be done with strip insulation. You can find this available at your local hardware store. You will want to insulate your attic as well. You can find these insulation rolls available at around £20 each and it could make a big difference on your heating bill by saving you a total of £250 per year.