We endure years of austerity coupled with unreasonable price rises for the energy used in our homes. It is unsurprising that the finances of many hard-working families are at breaking point. We do not know if those in power speak the truth when they say they intend to address the problem, but we can only wait and see if they make the changes we need.
It is down to us to do what we can in our homes to reduce the energy we consume. There are several measures that we can take, but most of them cost money initially. They are a sound investment and pay us back in lower bills many times over.
Here are a few ideas to slash your consumption.
Change Your Habits
These ideas will cost you nothing. It is often our behaviour and bad habits that waste valuable fuel. Use these ideas to save cash.
- Always put lids on saucepans. You will find that you can turn the hob ring down to its lowest setting and still simmer the food. Without a lid, you must turn the ring up higher.
- Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Educate the other members of your family too. It is a pure waste of electricity, and there is no excuse for it.
- Use the microwave oven to cook food. Most of us only use this machine to reheat snacks or cold dinners, but it is capable of much more. It cooks in about one-third the time of a conventional oven, so buy some books and learn to use it.
Change The Systems
If your boiler is old, it is likely to be inefficient. Use Laird and Son Heating and Air Conditioning to install some modern units. It will do the same job as your old equipment, and use less energy. Modern technology is designed with efficiency in mind.
Think about new appliances too. The old washing machine and dishwasher are using more electricity than a modern replacement. You can make significant savings with new equipment.
Upgrade The Insulation
If your home can hold onto the heat that your system generates, the boiler will not operate as often as it would otherwise. The only way to keep heat in is with plenty of insulation. Here are the areas you must concentrate on.
- Hot air rises and to prevent it from transferring to the loft and out through the roof, you must put a thick thermal barrier in place. Loft insulation comes on rolls and is very cheap when you think about the job it does and the money it will save.
- Heat will escape through the walls too, so think about using cavity wall insulation to reduce the problem. If you live in an old property and there are no cavities, you can apply insulation to the outside walls and cover it with render.
- Change the old window frames for new double glazed units. The new frames will come with quality seals to stop draughts too.
So there are things we can do to combat the energy price rises. Perhaps we need a little of the wartime spirit about which we heard so much. One day prices might come down, but I doubt it. I hope you found this useful; good luck in your efforts.
