With the current state of the economy, it is more important than ever for people to take the necessary steps to make their homes more energy efficient to reduce their energy bills. If you have fallen victim to the cost of living crisis, then continue reading this article to see how to make your home more energy efficient so that you can keep costs down.

This article contains 5 ways to make your home more energy efficient, most of which are small adjustments that you can make in your day-to-day life to help reduce the cost of your energy bills.

Switch off appliances at the wall

If you aren’t using an appliance, switch it off at the wall rather than just turning off the appliance itself. Even though you have turned off the appliance, it may still be using standby power. Appliances such as TVs and digital clocks use standby power even when they’ve been turned off, meaning they are eating into your energy bill even when they aren’t being used.

As well as this, make sure you turn off any lights that you aren’t using or you don’t really need on. If you wanted to take it a step further, you could install LED lightbulbs which are more energy efficient.

Use the washing machine & tumble dryer during off-peak times

Although many of us hang the washing out during the day in the summer, this luxury disappears as we get into winter and many of us have no choice but to use the tumble dryer to stay on top of the washing.

However, did you know that there are certain times throughout the day when using the washing machine and tumble dryer is more expensive? These are called peak times and should be avoided in order to reduce your energy bills.

Between 4pm-7pm, it is more expensive to use the washing machine or tumble dryer. On the other hand, the least expensive time to use the washing machine or tumble dryer is between 10pm-5am. Although not many of us want to do washing after 10pm, using the washing machine or tumble dryer outside of peak times can still help to reduce your energy bills.

Ensure your windows are energy efficient

One aspect that is often overlooked, is how energy efficient your windows are. If you have old windows that are relatively thin, or your windows have cracks or gaps in them, even if they are small, this can let a lot of the heat out and consequently increase your energy bills. Investing in thick windows can make a big difference to the amount you spend on your energy. Although it is a slightly more expensive purchase to make now, doing it will ensure that your overall costs are reduced which will save you more money long term.

If you are on a budget, you can buy supply-only windows and get them fitted separately which will allow you to buy the windows at trade prices, making them slightly cheaper. Before you order your windows online, make sure you know how to measure for replacement windows so that you order the right size.

Install thick curtains

Following on from making sure your windows are energy efficient, you also need to ensure that your curtains are thick so that they act as another layer of insulation and keep the heat in. Having thick insulated curtains means that you can turn the heating down once your home has warmed up and your curtains will be able to keep the heat in.

Cut down on water

Although you may not think it at first, cutting down on the amount of water you use can also help to reduce your energy bills. You can do this by making small adjustments in your day-to-day life. For example, rather than having a bath every day, have a shower instead to use less water. You should also avoid running the water for long periods of time when it isn’t necessary, such as when brushing your teeth, only run the water when you are rinsing the brush.

Another small adjustment that you can make is to only put enough water in the kettle for what you are using it for to avoid boiling water that you aren’t going to use and may potentially be thrown anyway later.

It is also important to regularly check for water leaks as this could also cause your energy bills to increase and it is more common than you may think.

In summary

In summary, there are many small adjustments that you can make around the house to make your home more energy efficient and reduce your energy bills. If you have the money to do so, I would strongly suggest investing in thick insulated windows to help keep in as much heat as possible.