In a shared house, there are many challenges. In the winter we may enjoy hot chocolates, lamb roasts and
cosy nights at home. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of the year when power
bills surge to their highest as we all battle to keep warm. Here are 14 practical tips and tricks we can use to help minimise these extra costs:
1. Heating – Almost 40% of household energy use relates to
heating during winter. Buy the most efficient heater you can afford and only
heat the rooms you are in when you are in them. Keep the thermostat at 18-20C. Be careful you
don’t overheat your room. Every degree above that you program your heater adds
about 10 % to the heating costs.
2. Program your heater – Use your heater economically. Set
it to switch on 20 minutes before you wake up then turn it off 20 minutes
before you leave the house or go to bed. Use an electric blanket to warm your
bed and then turn it off before you go to sleep. (Sleeping with an electric blanket can sap your energy, by the way.)
3. Size matters – Think about the size of the appliances for
areas of the home you want to heat up. Small energy-efficient heaters are
sufficient for bathrooms to save warming up the whole house instead.
4. Cut down your showers - Hot water accounts for around a
third of the average household’s energy use. Resist the temptation for longer
showers this winter. The average shower is eight minutes…consider cutting that
in half. All our showers have been fitted with water-efficient shower heads. This cuts the amount of water flowing from the shower head to as little as 7 litres per minute compared to an unrated shower head which can
use up to 25 litres of water per minute – a 72% reduction on hot water usage.
5. Cuppa Time - Don’t make your kettle work harder than it needs to – If
you are making a cup of tea or boiling water for a hot water bottle, make sure
you only put as much water as you need in the kettle each time you boil it,
rather than filling it all the way up to the top. It costs more to boil a full
kettle than to run a ceiling fan for an hour.
6. Heater Switch - Don’t forget the ‘off’ button - Remember to turn your
heating off before you leave the house in the morning.
7. Use the oven! - Leave the oven open after you bake – let
the warm air circulate around the room!
8. Put your ceiling fan into winter mode – Many ceiling fans
have a switch (above the blades) which will allow you to change between summer
and winter mode. If you put the fan into winter mode, it will reverse the
movement of the blades and force the warm air that is trapped at the ceiling,
down into the room to cycle with the cool air. This will warm up your room in
winter. For the best effect, keep your fan on low speed.
9. Don’t block the sunshine – If you have pot plants on your
window sill, now is the time to move them elsewhere. Maximise the sunlight
coming into your home and remove any blockages that may be in the way.
10. Use your curtains - Let in the sun during the day
(particularly on north-facing windows) and close them at night to seal any
draughts around windows or doors.
11. Let it vent! – Make sure any heating vents are kept
clear and that any rugs or furniture that are in the way are moved, to ensure
heat is circulated around the room as efficiently as possible.
12. Get dusting – Make sure you regularly dust or vacuum
your radiators and vents to stop dust from accumulating. Dust can keep the heat
from getting into the rooms where you need it.
13. Seal up any holes in walls or foundations - Any cracks
or holes will allow precious heat to escape. Use weather stripper for doors and
windows and gap filler for cracks in the wall. Let me know if you feel a draft somewhere and we can get it fixed.
14. Smarter laundry - Wash clothes in cold water and wash
only full loads. Hot water will inflate your bill further and doesn’t
contribute any significant benefits versus cold water washes.
