5 more energy-saving tips
to reduce your home energy bill
Here are five more energy-saving tips to help minimise your household’s energy costs.
Get dimmer switches for your lighting
Does your home rely on standard on-off light switch fittings?
Making the switch (pun intended) to electronic dimmer switches can potentially help you save money; in more ways than one.
Unlike older dimmers which push the same amount of power through an adjustable resistor to change the bulb brightness, modern electronic ‘thyristor’ or ‘TRIAC’ dimmer switches are designed to rapidly turn the power on and off to achieve the dimming effect.
They do this so fast that the light looks like regular continuous light to our eyes; but take a slow-motion video with your phone and you’ll often be able to spot the rapid flickering.
What does all this mean for you? Well, it means you can save electricity by keeping your dimmers turned down; especially when it comes to certain LED bulbs.
But you’ll also save money by maximising the lifespan of your lightbulbs, so you’ll be spending out on replacement bulbs less frequently.
And as an added bonus, having greater control over the brightness of your lights can often create a more relaxing and aesthetically pleasing home atmosphere; potentially preventing the eye strain issues that often come with brighter lighting.
Switch to outdoor LEDs
On the subject of lighting; do you rely on older outdoor lighting to illuminate your garden or driveway at night?
Even if you’ve already switched out your indoor lightbulbs for LED bulbs, it’s easy to miss the outdoor lamps your home may have; and if they rely on traditional incandescent, fluorescent or halogen bulbs, they could be adding unnecessary extra cost to your electricity bill.
Be sure to switch to LED bulbs, which not only last far longer but also use less energy.
If your lights run off the mains power, you might also want to consider switching to solar-powered lights. Many outdoor lighting products come with their own built-in solar panels, so they won’t eat into your electricity bill at all.
Switch off standby appliances (but don’t expect big savings)
You’ve likely seen the stories in the news about standby power and ‘phantom load’ devices – such as TVs, computer monitors, set top boxes, printers, microwaves and more – eating into your electricity bill even when you’re not using them.
However, there’s some controversy over the actual cost savings you’re likely to make.
The reality is, if your home uses modern appliances, you’re unlikely to save much by regularly switching off standby devices.
But every home is different, and you might find your particular energy bills will benefit more from switched-off devices; particularly if you’re still relying on older, less energy-efficient appliances.
As we covered in our previous article, a smart meter can help you keep track of your energy usage. Try checking your energy usage for a day with the standby devices switched off, then keep them switched on for another day and compare the costs.
And of course, if there’s any appliances that you rarely use anyway, it’s always a good idea to keep them switched off and unplugged anyway.
Use electricity at night – if you’re on a time-of-use tariff
If your electricity provider charges you via an ‘time-of-use tariff’ – also known as an ‘economy tariff’ – you’ll pay lower rates for the electricity you use during off-peak hours; usually between 10pm and 8am.
Limiting your electricity usage as much as possible to these off-peak hours can help you minimise your electricity bill; particularly when it comes to charging phones and laptops, or washing and tumble-drying laundry.
Just be sure to do the laundry and take your devices off charge before you go to bed. Leaving a washing machine or tumble dryer unattended while you sleep can be potentially dangerous, while portable device chargers will keep consuming power even after the device has been fully topped up.
If you can’t use electricity at night, switch to a different tariff
It’s important to note that some time-of-use tariffs will charge significantly higher rates during the peak hours of the daytime and early evening.
If most of your electricity usage is spent during peak hours, you might ultimately get a lower energy bill by switching to a more typical variable or fixed rate tariff instead.
Be sure to do your homework and compare rates before switching. In particular, choosing a fixed rate deal over a variable rate deal may end up being more expensive if energy prices fall; particularly at this current time where energy rates are already higher.
Need help installing dimmer switches or LED lighting systems for your home? J C Electrical UK’s team of electricians can provide professional electrical installation services to homeowners, landlords and businesses across the West and Greater London areas. Call us on 0208 839 9561 or email info@jcelectric.co.uk for a quote today.
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