Trick you need to be aware of to cut £336 off your energy bills
Householders face an expensive year with the prospect of energy price hikes adding further costs to their bills.
The nation is facing ever-increasing energy bills this winter, around 11,000,000 Brits are predicted to pay £150 extra on energy bills per household, that's an increase of 30%.
Those who work from home will also be spending an extra £140 a month if prices are to increase.
There are ways to tackle this, you can look at switching energy providers, take a look at our guide on that here.
Currys, the UK’s largest tech retailer, has also pulled together tips and tricks which will save an average householder £336 per year, as well as revealing the top tech offenders for using-up energy in the home.
The retailer finds the top five most energy-scoffing culprits for hiking up energy and gas bills for the average Brit are washing machines, dishwashers, TVs and games consoles, kettles and fridge freezers.
Household appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and other wet appliances have been crowned as the worst offenders.
These account for 25% of total average household’s electrical use – and 15% of total energy bills costs.
Family electronics, like TV games and consoles left on standby, come in next with 19% electrical use, followed by cooking appliances, cold appliances and finally lighting.
To help customers across the nation save some pennies on the tech they’re using at-home and working from home, Currys’ expert colleagues have shared their six top tips for helping tech-lovers bring down their bills, whilst still enjoying the same technology.
Go green this winter season by being ‘eco’
Most washing machines, washer dryers and dishwashers have an eco-setting, which will help you save energy and money, with minimal effort.
A lot of people don’t realise their appliances have this function so it’s always worth checking the front of your machine.
By switching a dishwater onto an eco-setting, it can save the water use by 20-40% for each clean.
Heat pumps on washer dryers are also another feature to look out for when thinking about upgrading your appliances.
These help to ensure the drying process is gentler on clothes while keeping running costs down, so you don’t have to worry about running up a hefty electric bill.
If the eco function isn’t available or you have an older model, there are still ways that you can save both energy and pennies.
Washing at a lower temperature of 30 degrees rather than having the temperature unnecessarily high is far more friendly on the environment as well as your wallet. Another small tip is to get into the habit of turning things off or onto ‘standby’ instead of letting them run.
Always check energy efficient labels
When upgrading or trading your tech in, be sure to check the energy labels.
By choosing products in the best available energy class, householders can achieve substantial savings on electricity bills - up to £145 a year, when compared to bills using older models.
At purchase, energy efficiency information should be clearly displayed and will cover everything from water consumption to eco programmes.
Shoppers can ask Currys' experts in-store or online via the ShopLive service for further tech jargon busting.
Purchase the correct size tech appliances
It’s not always about the biggest, most popular product, but rather what caters to your needs.
For example, having a smaller washing machine for a smaller household can help save water, which in turn, can help save both money and effect on the environment.
“In the past 12 months we’ve noticed an increase in the numbers of customer who’re looking to save money and protect the environment" said Matt Manning, group carbon and environment manager at Currys.
"But interestingly, when they speak to one of our in-store or ShopLive tech experts, they’re often surprised to find that it’s not always the biggest, most popular products that are best suited to their needs and living spaces.”
This rise in numbers showcases that it is key when purchasing these types of big-ticket items that you do your research and speak to a real-life tech expert where possible beforehand.
Install smart heating controllers to beat the ever-growing bill
As the temperature drops outside, the heating inside starts to go up – and so do our bills, especially when we’re working from home.
Investing in a smart heater or thermostat such as the HIVE Activeheating MultiZone Thermostat or Google Nest Thermostat can help Brits easily control the heating in their homes, and are a great, simple way to start saving on bills, as they only turn on when needed.
Switch to LED bulbs
On dark winter evenings, being conservative with lighting can be difficult however, simple swaps, such as replacing standard bulbs with LED alternatives means you will only be using a fraction of the energy of a normal bulb.
Lights can then be left on as needed in the home, without the worry of a high electricity bill.
The LEDVANCE Smart+ Filament Globe Dimmable LED Light Bulbs is a great option as it has 15,000 hours of lifetime, far longer than a normal light bulb.
LED lights can help reduce the average person’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40kg a year - the equivalent to driving a car 40 miles. Plus, consumers can save up to £9 per bulb per year.
Stay smart with smart plugs
Ditch the traditional switch and think about using smart plugs instead.
Paired with an app, many smart plugs come with features that make lowering your energy consumption a piece of cake, such as automatic switch off.
Some smart plugs also allow users to input their electricity supplier’s prices into their respective apps, so usage can be monitored in real time – great for busy households with lots of gadgets on the go at any one time.
