Money saving tips for Big Energy Saving Week

This week is Big Energy Saving Week (January 17-23) and Homes in Sedgemoor has put together a handy guide to save money.

Ester, income officer at Homes in Sedgemoor said: It’s important to help our customers make savings as and when they can. Here’s a list of top tips on energy saving:

• Doors drafty? Roll up old towels to use as a draft excluder. This will help to stop heat escaping and keep your rooms cosy. Also keep all doors closed to keep the heat in.
• Keep furniture away from radiators, by blocking your source of heat you are making your heating system work harder which will cost you more money.
• Wash your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees, this not only saves money but by reducing from 40 degrees to 30 degrees means you get 3 washing cycles instead of two; buy 2 get one free! This could save you £20 a year.
• Turn off appliances at the socket when not in use. Leaving your appliances switched on could be costing you around £50.00 extra a year. If you have boiled the kettle, switch it off, if you have charged your phone, switch it off! Once you get in the habit of doing it, it will come natural to switch appliances and chargers off.
• When making a cuppa, only fill the kettle to how much water you actually need. Over filling your kettle is boiling up water you don’t need thus costing you more money. You could save £11 a year.
• Use the sun where you can; let the light and heat in. Open all your blinds and curtains and tap into this free resource. But remember to close them again when it gets dark to help stop heat from escaping.
• Use a lid on your pans if you are boiling water for cooking; it will keep the heat in and cook food faster, using less energy.
• If you use your oven, keep the oven door open after use until it cools. It will help warm up your home. But please make sure it is safe to do so if you have young children or pets.
• Batch cooking is a great way to save energy. By cooking extra and freezing it, you will also save time. Remember to take your frozen food out the night before and place it in your fridge to defrost overnight, this will also lower the temperature of your fridge so helps to reduce your energy use again.
• Check your TV’s power saving settings to reduce your energy use. Just by adjusting the brightness can save you money. Some Tv’s have different picture modes too; be aware most picture modes other than ‘standard’ will use more energy.

We’ll be posting more information about Big Energy Saving Week over the next few days, so visit our website www.homesinsedgemoor.org or follow us on social media.