Small Changes You Can Make To Save Money Running Your Home

Running a home can be expensive and I'm always looking for ways to reduce our outgoings. Spending a few hours making some simple changes around your home could save you a lot of money so is well worth doing. Remember small savings each month really add up and you could save hundreds, or even thousands after a year or two. Here are my top tips for easy small changes you can make to save money running your home.

LED lighting

A really easy change to make is to swap to LED lights. These use up to 90% less energy than traditional halogen bulbs and last for about 8 years longer. The Energy Savings Trust estimates that it would cost the average UK household could save £40 a year on energy costs if they switched to LED bulbs. I would suggest replacing your lighting one at a time as the bulbs fail and before too long you will have a complete set of LED lighting in your home. LED lighting is fast being used in commercial settings too with LED panels being popular as they look great and save a lot of energy and consequently bring running costs down.

Turn the heating down

I'm sure everyone's Dad told them this, but it really is true. If you turn your thermostat down by one degree it will save you money over the course of a year. Try turning yours down by 2-3 degrees and wear a jumper inside. At night you can turn the thermostat down even more and keep warm with a hot water bottle in bed.

Invest in a new boiler

If you have a really old boiler it probably isn't energy efficient and a new one will save you money on your monthly bills. If you boiler is over 5 years old and you meet certain requirements you may even qualify for a grant towards a new one. Check out your local authority website to see what is available to you.

Insulate

Another thing you can often get grants to help with the cost of is insulation. By increasing the insulation in your home you will drastically reduce the amount of heat lost through your walls and roof, saving you significant amounts on your heating bill. You will want about 270mm of insulation, depending upon which type you choose and this should save you up to 20% on your annual heating bill.

Turn sockets off at the mains

Don't underestimate the amount of energy your appliances use when on standby. If you walk through your house and look at all the appliances and devices that are plugged in and left on you will be shocked. If you have a smart meter you can actually see how much electricity you are using and you can go around and turn all the mains off and see how much electricity you save. To make it easier, you can get Alexa plugs which you can turn off with a simple voice command, and set a routine for the evening so that everything is properly turned off before you go to bed.

Buy energy efficient appliances

Old, inefficient appliances will use a lot more energy than their modern counterparts. When it is time to replace your appliances, do some research and choose new ones with the best energy efficiency rating. Appliances are graded from G-A with A being the best, and you can even get A+++ at the top of the range.

Remember, all these changes not only save you money but also using less energy will be better for the environment. If everyone made these small changes, it would add up to make a big difference.

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