I love saving money, especially on day to day stuff as it gives me a little left over to spoil the family. One of our biggest expenditures is our gas and electric and I love finding smart ways to save on our gas and electric without swapping suppliers. So I am working with British Gas to share with you ways that we save on our gas and electric.
I think that there is nothing more annoying than when one person tries to save on the utilities but the rest of the family are not on board. It is soul destroying always reminding people to turn off the lights or switch the TV off standby. So my biggest tip is to get everyone involved and invested. Make it a challenge for all the family. When my children got to school they did lots on environmental change and the need to recycle, reuse and reduce. So whilst it was at the forefront of their mind we put a lot of these tips in place.
Also, the easier it is to do, the more you are likely to continue doing it. So make it simple. Having Smart Meters installed, using our Hive heating system and smart bulbs. The first steps to being able to make savings is to know what you are using and when. Smart Meters means the end of estimated bills, therefore, your monthly direct debits can be more accurate. They also enable you to have a better understanding of your usage and see the direct impact your habits and lifestyle have on your bill.
Smart Ways to Save on Utilities
Turn it down. Reducing the temperature of your heating will save you money straight away. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that turning your thermostat down by 1degree will save you 10% on your bills or on average £80 per year. The reason I love our Hive Active Heating is we can set it to 0.5 degrees centigrade. So we can have it at 18.5 degrees rather than 19.
Turn it off. This goes for turning things off standby. We have extensions that allow us to turn off the TV and then it turns off all the attached devices on the extension, which is a great way of smartly turning things off. The same goes for the heating and hot water. Most thermostats allow you to have a schedule, but our Hive Active Heating allows us to set lots of schedules, so we only have the heating on when we are in the home. We can also use our phones and tablets to control the heating and water.
Energy Saving Lightbulbs. We use them throughout the house and have also switched all our kitchen lights to LED ones. Yes, they are more expensive initially, but they save money long term as they last longer and use less electric on a day to day basis. We also have a couple of smart bulbs. They are especially good for areas where the light often gets left on. Plus we have set a schedule for the landing light, so once we are all asleep it turns off at a set time using less electricity.
Only use what you need. You could save pounds according to the Energy Saving Trust a year by only boiling enough water as you need in the kettle.
Unplug your chargers. Did you know that phone and appliance chargers use electricity even when they are not being used and are just plugged in? Also do not charge your phones overnight as they only take a couple of hours.
Use your washer smarter. Only wash clothes when they are dirty and not after they have been worn once (try telling that to teenagers). Instead of washing clothes more frequently try airing them and spot cleaning. According to the Energy Saving Trust, washing clothes at 30 degrees uses around 40% less electricity over the course of a year compared to higher temperatures.
So what are your top tips for saving on your gas and electric? I would love to know. Leave them in the comments and I will gather them all together for my next money saving post.
Disclosure: This is a paid collaboration in conjunction with British Gas® but all thoughts are my own