Save money on your Energy bills this winter.

Now that winter is here and the cold weather is starting to take a grip it’s time to consider your energy bill. With heating on for most of the day, long hot baths required in the evening and long hot showers in the morning a luxury its best to try and cut your bills down where you can.

 Direct Debits

Surprisingly a very quick way to save a great deal of money. A hefty £100 can be saved from switching from paying by cash or cheque to a direct debit. While you’re at it ask to swap to your bills to online and email. Some companies such as Southern Energy offer a £6 per fuel annual discount for this little swap!

Heating Control

Fling open your curtains on your south facing windows. Not only is this good for the mind but it does allow the sunlight to naturally heat your home. Close the curtains though as soon as its gone to keep the warm getting our and the cold in. Its worth adjusting your temperature during the heat for the day between 12-3 just down a degree or to. With this and/or throwing on your jumper its amazing the difference one degree can make in costs! Also, if you have a natural fire place use this to heat your rooms too. Use the twigs from the garden and free newspapers for kindling!

Natural Heating

Make hot drinks throughout the day and only boil the kettle for the required amount! Get up and about regularly and keep your blood flowing through out your body. The longer you sit still the colder you will get. It’s also worth putting on lots of thin layers rather than just one or two chunky layers. This traps air around you which stays warm for longer. And why not use a hot water bottle as your cushion? An excellent and cheap way to warm yourself up if you’re sitting in one place for a while.

Bills

Ensure you are properly insulated. Your walls, roof and your hot water tank should be insulated. By covering windows properly and putting draught excluders at doors you’re keeping the heat you’ve already paid for inside! Seal the air leaks around you’re the cut-throughs your house has for the pipes, the gap around chimneys and recessed lights. Also, check unfinished spaces behind your cupboards and closets. We lived in our last house for three years before discovering a huge hole to the outside behind the kick board in the kitchen! No wonder we had cold feet there for so long! A good simple way of checking for draughts is to light a candle and hold it around the edge of curtains and doors and see if the flame flickers.

Water Tank

Do do do make sure it is insulated properly! A hot water jacket might seem a worthless expense but will save you your money in the long run. While there check your water temperature. Often set high it doesn’t need to much higher than 55C Save energy and save burning yourself!

Take a look at Premier Bathrooms for more top tips on how to lower your energy bill this winter.