As autumn is starting to come in with colder weather and darker evenings the likelihood of your energy consumption increasing is very high. So, it’s essential to get some good energy habits in before the winter kicks in.

Top need to know energy habits

There are so many energy top tips out there, but it can sometimes be difficult to know which ones you should follow. Any that will help to reduce your energy consumption is good to follow.

Dishwasher use

Tip 1

Most households now have a dishwasher, however, are used constantly even with only a few dishes in. We recommend only using your dishwasher when it is completely full; you can often waste a significant amount of energy by putting on loads of washes with small loads. By hand washing and air drying dishes, your home could save up to 15-50%.

Washing machines

Tip 2

Much like your dishwasher, you should only wash your clothes in a full washing machine. Not only does it save you time on having to do the washing in batches but it also reduces energy consumption.

Tip 3

You will also want to clean the dryer lint filter; this will also help your dryer run more efficiently. We also recommend getting your vacuum cleaner out and get right in the tubing to get rid of all the fluff.

Tip 4

It may come as a surprise but most of your clothes can be washed in cold water, as most detergents will work at a lower temperature. Not everything can be washed at a lower temperature, bedding and towels might be an exception. However, clothing items are normally better off in a cooler wash as the colour tends to stay longer. For more information on what temperature your washing machine should be on we recommend taking a look at Which?.

Showers

Tip 5

When it comes to showering, a high-pressure shower can waste water. For maximum water efficiency, you should look at installing a low flow shower head. Take a look at TheGreenAge for water-saving shower heads.

Tip 6

You should also try taking shorter showers; a normal shower will spit out around 2.5 gallons per minute. If you reduce your shower by around 4-5 minutes per day, you could save about 3650 gallons of water a year.

Boilers

Tip 7

Boilers like to be looked after, and they usually break down at the worst of times. We highly recommend getting your boiler serviced by RA Heating and Plumbing every year. By doing so, the engineer can detect any defects or faults, therefore, ensuring maximum efficiency.

Heating

Tip 8

Rather than being tempted to turn the heating on, think about closing the curtains. You might be a little surprised, but curtains are a great way of trapping the heat in your home. If you want to trap the warmth in even more you might want to consider purchasing yourself a pair of thermal curtains from Dunelm. Get into the habit of closing your curtains as soon as you start to feel a little bit chilly.

Tip 9

You should also keep the curtains open when the sun is hitting the house; this is an excellent way of keeping your home warm.

Tip 10

Alternatively, you could also ensure at the end of every summer your home is fully draught proof. Draught proofing your home means you could save yourself up to £150 a year.

Water timer

Tip 11

One of the best ways for you to save a couple of pennies is to look at getting yourself a water heater timer. Immersive timers allows you to put your hot water on a timer, so when you are out the house or at night, you can get the water heater to turn off.

Insulation

Tip 12

Insulation is key when it comes to making your home more energy efficient. One of the first places you will want to look is your water pipes, a significant amount of heat is lost during transport. Insulating hot water pipes means you can keep around 2-4 degrees in heat. It also means you can reduce the heat of your hot water, giving you an additional saving in the long run.

Screen Savers

Tip 13

Screen savers are extremely energy consuming, so one of the best things to do on your TV, Laptop or any other electrical device. Put it on standby when you are not using it, even on sleeping mode, you can waste a significant amount of energy.

Light Bulbs

Tip 14

Check which light bulbs you are using in your home if they are not energy saving we recommend changing them to LED bulbs. One of the many things people forget about is lighting fixtures such as bedside tables, lamps or even kitchen storage lighting.

LEDs are the most efficient bulbs; they use around 90% less energy in comparison to more traditional incandescent bulbs. Often they end up paying for themselves in energy saving a couple of months down the line.

Chargers

Tip 15

When chargers are not being used they should be taken out of the plug socket, while you may think they are not using any energy, they can. Many chargers will often draw out power continuously, even when they are not in use.

Energy saving habits

It is always a good idea to get your energy saving habits in early, the more you can be conscious of your energy consumption the likelihood of your energy consumption reducing is very high.

One of the best places to start when it comes to being more energy conscious is to look at your current energy plan. Are you being charged for everything you use or is it done by an estimated amount? You could be paying a lot more then you need to when it comes to your electricity supply for your home. We recommend reading our article Choosing the right energy plans for you.

Do not forget to follow our 15 top tips, if you have any energy saving tips which have not been mentioned. We would love to hear them! Get in touch over on our Ampower Facebook Page.