Top ten tips: Cutting costs in your home
Monday, 9 January 2012 2:45 PM
Most of us spend more than we need to on a lot of things. If you’re struggling to meet the financial goals you’ve set, it’s time to look for ways to cut expenses daily, monthly and long-term.
1) By discontinuing or downsizing your cable television and internet package, you can dramatically cut costs in your home. Going from hundreds of TV channels to just the basic service can save you between £20-50 a month.
2) Review your insurance at renewal. Shop around for your insurance needs as savings can be made of over £30 a month on car insurance for example. Comparison shopping has been facilitated in previous years, with websites created to tell you the best deal possible on whatever you’re looking for.
3) Replace all your old light bulbs - replacing all the old incandescent light bulbs in your home with energy efficient florescent or led lights will earn you great savings over the duration of the year. Something as simple and easy as changing your light bulbs can save you hundreds of pounds a year.
4) A quarter of all UK emissions of carbon dioxide come from our homes. Making your home more energy efficient can work wonders for you as well as the environment. You can save as much as £300 a year in fuel bills. You can also reduce your water bills by replacing your existing shower heads with energy efficient ones.
5) Although this winter weather makes most of us indoors want to reach for the thermostat it is important to keep control of the heating in your home. This can most easily be achieved by using a timer to make sure your heating and hot water is only on when you really need it. By turning the thermostat down by just one degree Celsius, you can save as much as 10% on your heating bills.
6) If you have to purchase a new boiler, make sure it has an Energy Saving Recommended label. More than 80% of home energy use is for heating and hot water, therefore it pays to get a more energy efficient boiler. You can reduce the energy your existing boiler consumes by as much as 40% with an efficient thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.
7) One important tip that applies to all households is to avoid leaving appliances on standby. The average household wastes £30 a year by not turning appliances off completely. It is important mobile phones and laptops are not left on charge unnecessarily. If a charger or power pack is warm or has a light on, it’s using energy and you’re paying for it.
8) The cheapest way to pay your energy bills is by monthly direct debit. Many energy suppliers offer better deals for customers who pay this way. You can also cut down your expenditures by getting paperless billing. ‘E-billing’ involves setting up an online account on your supplier’s website and viewing and managing your bills online.
9) Double-glazing – this works by trapping air between two panes of glass. This layer of air creates an insulating barrier that stops the heat inside a building escaping through the window. Double glazing can benefit homeowners by cutting heat lost through windows by about half. As well as this it can also reduce noise from outside. If you live near a busy road, it should reduce noise from road traffic.
10) Use washing machines and dishwashers more efficiently. Washing clothes at 30 degrees saves energy, and today’s detergents wash just as well at low temperatures. Run washing machines and dishwashers with full loads, as a half load uses more than half the energy and water of a full load. In addition, cleaning filters regularly keeps appliances running efficiently.
Tips provided courtesy of Abacus Estates.
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