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One of my favourite ways to save money is around my home. When you know how to save money on heating costs you can have a BIG impact on one of your higher household bills.
I’m sharing 25 tips with you today designed to help you to stay warm, keep well and save some money on your heating costs in the process! Oh, and a little on your energy costs overall!
How to save money on heating costs
Turn the thermostat down 1-2C
If you’re in the habit of having your thermostat on a fixed temperature then consider trying to reduce this by 1C or even 2C. You may not notice the difference in your home, but could make a considerable saving in the process.
Avoid using radiators to dry clothes
It can be tempting to pop clothes on the radiator to dry but this means your heating system is having to work harder to reach the desired temperature.
Instead place your clothes on a heated airer, and switch it on either overnight, to keep the room it’s in a little warmer, or at the same time as your heating is on.
The best part of a heated airer is that you can use it both heated and unheated. You can even carry it outside if you get a burst of fine weather and don’t have a washing line. Or want to peg everything outside.
Allow radiators room to breathe
Site your furniture, like your sofa, a little out from your radiator. This will allow the radiators to work more efficiently and your room to warm up quicker too.
If you live in a tiny house, like I do, this may not always be an option – but try your best!
Change energy suppliers
Check at least once a year the rate that you are paying to your energy supplier. Often suppliers want to tie you in to a one year or fixed term tariff, and then costs rise after this.
By shopping around you can switch to a new deal and you can even make use of cashback deals on websites like *TopCashBack or *Quidco.
Read your meters regularly
Read your meter regularly, at least once a quarter, but ideally once a month. Providing an accurate figure of your usage to your energy company will allow them to predict your direct debit amounts better.
This means you are less likely to receive a surprise payment demand, and also if your tariff changes in line with supply & demand, as it does with some suppliers now, you could make a further saving.
If you’re unsure how to read your own meter then speak to your supplier, who will be only too happy to help!
Have a smart meter fitted
If you’re someone who enjoys a visual aid or reminder then a smart meter might be perfect for you.
Smart meters allow you to see a current cost of the energy that you’re using, as well as an overall daily rate. If you’re someone who regularly forgets to turn off appliances, unplug chargers or switch off the heating then this could be just the reminder you need – right there for you to see it flashing!
Energy companies will typically fit smart meters for free, but may want you to sign up for a fixed term tariff, so ensure you read any small print before signing up!
Know how your heating and thermostat works
Your heating system is likely to have a timer. You can set this to turn off 30-45 minutes before you usually head to bed, or even to turn on just before you get home so you come home to a lovely warm environment.
You can also turn down the heating, AND the hot water temperature. We were able to turn our hot water down around 5C and this meant we were no longer scalding ourselves the second we turned the water on from our combi boiler and it has been a great way to save money on heating costs.
Draw the curtains
Make the most of your curtains or blinds. Closing blinds and curtains at night can have a BIG difference on the time it takes to heat a room, or your entire home.
Walk around your home when you return home from work, or before you settle down for the evening, and ‘close up the house’ for the night. It only takes a couple of minutes and can make a big difference to the overall temperature in your home.
Cover your letter box
This is often an overlooked area of your home but this is especially important if you have a house with an internal hallway that covers almost the entire length.
Consider fitting an *internal letter box draught excluder, if you don’t already have one.
Check loft insulation
Conduction and convection means that a lot of heat can be lost through your loft. Have a little nosy and check that everything looks above board with your loft insulation.
The Energy Saving Trust state that a quarter of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home.
Use a hot water bottle
When you’re settling down for the evening, and fancy a nice cup of tea, why not fill up your *hot water bottle too? Have you seen the *extra long hot water bottles? So cool!
If you’re the only person at home, or really need to save money, then a hot water bottle will keep you comfortable while you relax in front of the TV, or even when you’re settling into bed for the night.
When you’ve finished cooking use the heat from the oven
It may seem obvious now you read it but open up your oven once you’ve finished using it. Assuming you don’t have little ones or pets crawling around in the kitchen of course!
This can help to keep your kitchen warm and you may as well utilise this leftover heat – as you’ve paid for it!
I also love to use my own slow cooker recipes for low cost cooking and air fryer recipes to make dinner in a shorter time, but still make something delicious!
Now I’ve shared with with you how to save money on heating costs I want to share some more tips that will help you save energy in your home, and therefore save yourself some money in the process!
Ditch the kitchen gadgets
This tip isn’t heating specific, and is energy related instead, but a saving is a saving after all!
If you’re a fan of baking muffins, making rolls or pizza dough then consider if you mix the dough by hand. You’ll get a little bit of a workout, which will help to raise your body temperature, and you’ll save energy not using kitchen gadgets!
Don’t get me wrong – I love finding uses for food processors to make life easier but sometimes it is almost as fast just to cut your fruit or vegetables yourself!
Switch temperature on your washing machine
Consider using a 20C or 30C cycle on your washing machine. This is ideal for lightly worn clothes that need a refresh.
There is a time and a place for a 60C cycle of course, and I’m not suggesting you need to switch for every wash but just making a switch where you can is a great improvement.
Utilise the different settings on your washing machine
If your washing machine has a cycle for mixed fabrics then you can cut down on the number of wash cycles you need to do.
Also look for a speed cycle, such as a 15 or 30 minute cycle. These are ideal for giving clothes a freshen up, and if you use a second spin you can save a little on drying time too!
Replace light bulbs with energy-efficient ones
Make the change to *energy-efficient lightbulbs for your home. There is an initial outlay of course, and you could just wait until your existing lights have reached the end of their life if you don’t want a large cost upfront.
Use lids on saucepans
When cooking in the kitchen ensure you use a lid on your saucepans. This will mean less heat escapes and cooking time can be reduced slightly too.
Only boil the water you need in your kettle
If you’re just making one cup of tea then boil just over one cup of water, or even consider using a *Hot Cup like I have done in the past.
When you’re boiling a larger amount of water then weigh it out in accordance to your requirements. Not only will you save on heating the water but you’ll reduce your water usage slightly too, which is great for the environment.
Keep your freezer ice free and full up
Having a well stocked freezer can mean there is less cool air circulating that needs to be cooled. Also, keep your freezer free of ice too, so it can work more efficiently.
Make sure any fans in your fridge or freezer can circulate properly, without interruption or blockage,, and that they aren’t getting accidentally clogged up with groceries.
Use a heated airer
I LOVE mine!
It’s a great way to get clothes dried, without using radiators or a tumble drier.
I don’t always turn on the airer, it can be used alone, without turning on the heated part, and sometimes I carry it out onto the patio to dry a little more in any sun that we’re lucky to get in the colder months.
I tend to use my heated airer in my office, and turn it on right next to my desk so that I feel some of the benefits. I have a cover over the top of mine too which really helps to dry things quicker.
Towel dry your hair
As long as you’re not due to go outside in cold weather you can leave your hair to dry naturally. Give it a little towel dry first to help speed it up.
This is especially great for hair that is regularly heat treated. You can use frizz treating products, or a leave in condition or even a curl cream, then leave your hair to dry naturally.
Dryer balls if you use a tumble drier
If you feel you can’t live without your tumble drier then look at *dryer balls, specifically designed to help you reduce drying time.
Wrap up warm + protect those toes
It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway… don’t walk around in shorts and a thin t-shirt and then moan that you’re freezing cold!
Layer your clothes, wrap up warm and keep your toes warm too! I find that if I’m wearing nice comfortable thick socks, and slippers, when I work from my home office that I feel nice and warm.
Use a heated blanket
If you’re wanting to be warm in bed, but don’t need to heat your whole house, then consider using a *heated blanket. You can turn it on just before you get into bed, and then turn it off before you go to sleep, for a lovely comfortable warm snuggle in your bed!
Get moving!
Do a little exercise! Get some speed cleaning done. Move your body more to warm up and you won’t feel the cold so much!
There you have it – 25 tips to help you save on your heating costs, and energy costs too! I hope you’ve found them useful and if you’ve got anything to add please do reach out to me over on my Instagram.
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