How to Reduce Electricity Bills in 2023
You’re not alone in this concern. With the continual rise of energy prices and the expected increase by April 2023, we’ve created an electricity saving guide to help homeowners reduce their energy bills in the coming year.
Table of Contents
Where should I start?
The first step is to check your
previous electricity usage using the options below. This will allow you to
compare your current usage with your reduced usage in 2023.
Option 1) Monitor your usage by taking meter readings everyday. You will then be able to notice and compare the difference in your energy consumption between, for example, your weekday and weekend routines.
Option 2) Similarly, you can use a smart meter, if you have one, to monitor your usage. You can access this information via its ‘home display’ (IHD). The benefit of using your smart meter as a monitor is that you can watch your usage go up in real time.
Option 3) Perhaps the easiest way to track your energy usage is to find your monthly consumption on your bill. Simply divide this number by 30 to find an average daily estimate.
Once you have this information, you should have a good idea how much energy your household consumes daily. It’s now time to learn how to bring those hefty energy bills down!
Now, let’s get you saving! Here’s how to reduce your electricity bills in 2023
LED Lighting
Have a look around your home’s lighting. You may think that you have energy saving lightbulbs, but there’s a catch! Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) were the first energy efficient lightbulbs and you may have these older lightbulbs around your home, however, these are no longer the most efficient option. Now, light emitting diode (LED) light bulbs have replaced these older CFL’s. Replace as many bulbs with these LED’s as possible in your home. You can find multipacks of 12 6W bulbs from £12 on amazon, that’s only £1 each. Every bulb could save you £1 each month, so this is definitely a worthwhile investment.
Remembering to turn off lights when leaving a room as this is the simplest way to reduce your electricity consumption. Combining these two cheap and easy tips will have your electricity bill falling in no time!
Make Simple Swaps in your Kitchen
Kitchen appliances consume a large amount of electricity in your home so this is a great place to look to make savings. If you have an electric oven and hobs then you should start by using smaller pans. The smaller the pan is, the less heat you will need to warm its contents. Therefore, reducing both the time your electricity will be on, and the intensity needed. Heat escaping from pans is a huge waste of energy, this can easily be avoided by using pan lids which prevent heat loss.
Air Fryer
The nation’s new found obsession with air fryers is not without cause! Look to swap your deep fryer and oven with an air fryer to reduce your energy costs. Deep fryers require a lot of electricity to heat the oil to a high temperature, whereas air fryers cook items using only hot air. This requires significantly less energy. You can also use an air fryer to cook items you would usually put in the oven. Air fryers are therefore great long term investments that are incredibly versatile and effective in reducing energy consumption.
Dishwasher
When looking at your dishwasher you can make two easy improvements. Firstly, ensure that you wait until the dishwasher is full before every cycle, and secondly, remember to use its economy setting for maximum savings!
Fridge Freezer
Surprisingly, fridge freezers become less efficient if they are full of frost, so defrosting it regularly will improve its efficiency. The coils that are behind the fridge freezer can become dusty, this causes them to generate more heat… not what you want from a fridge! Cleaning these coils at the same time as your regular defrost can save you more money.
Kettle
A common waste of energy can be found in your kettles. Boiling more water than you need when making your hot drinks is both wasteful and costly. Knowing exactly how much water to boil is almost impossible, however, by counting how many seconds it takes you to fill your cup from the tap, you will get a basic idea of how long you need to fill the kettle for. Then you can easily multiply the time it took for one cup to fill by however many drinks you need to make.
Washing Machine & Dryer
When using the washing machine make sure you wash full loads at a cooler temperature, this will reduce the amount of energy used to heat the water and lower energy costs. Dry clothes on washing lines, radiators and clothes hangers when possible and avoid machine drying as much as possible as the tumble tryer is one of the worst consumers of electricity in your kitchen.
Efficiency Savvy Buying
The next time you replace one of your electrical items, such as your television or washing machine, look at the energy efficiency rating for the appliance you are purchasing. The better the rating, the more efficient the appliance, so the more you’ll save in the long term. Replacing very old fridges or freezers can have a quick return on investment as they use newer technology, making them more energy efficient.
Turn Off Standby:
Now this is a habit you should really get into! Every electrical device that is switched on at the plug still uses electricity. While it may be a good idea to keep the set top box on standby to record your favourite shows while you’re out, it would be a better idea to turn off your television at the switch along with phone chargers and other devices that don’t need to be on all day.
Use low cost off-peak electricity
This may not be common knowledge, but you can actually change your electricity tariff to one that offers low cost energy during the night. Why would that save me money might you ask? Well, if you couple up the electricity tariff with a battery storage unit, you can schedule the battery to charge during these cheaper periods. Then you can power your household items using the battery when the price is higher. It’s a great way to reduce your electricity costs every day, with no effort required! For more information on how a battery storage system can help you reduce your energy bills please contact us today to get started.
