Winter Energy Saving Tips

-Ensure you have your heating on an effective automatic timer system. Column radiators, heated towel rails and so on many only need to be switched on when you’re using the bathroom in the morning and at night. If you’re out for most of the day, make sure your home isn’t being heated until you’re back. -Rather than turning up the thermostat to warm up your home, wear more layers and try to spend more time in the warmest areas of the house. Just turning your thermostat down by one or two degrees can save a lot of money in the long run. -Make sure your radiators and heating system are regularly maintained, checked and repaired if necessary. If something is leaking or not working properly, it’s almost certainly going to be wasting you money on your energy bills. -Make the most of what sunlight you can get. Opening your blinds or curtains during the day will let you maximise the energy and warmth coming in from natural light. -If you use your fireplace with a real burning fire, make sure the heat isn’t all escaping out of the chimney by keeping the damper in a closed position. If you don’t use your fireplace, seal the chimney to stop warm air escaping. -Turn down the temperature of your hot water if this is an option, as this could also be wasting energy in many households. -If you are on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 electricity tariff, you will get cheaper electricity at night than during the day. This means you could save money by only turning on appliances that use more energy at night.