As a homeowner and bill payer, you’re probably keen to keep an eye on spending when it comes to your bills and utilities- especially in the current economic climate.
Photo by Vinicius “amnx” Amano on Unsplash
Due to the situation with Russia and Ukraine, we’re now in the midst of a fuel crisis and so the cost of both your gas and electricity will have jumped up astronomically in recent months. Here are some of the ways you can reduce your spending, and as a bonus these things make your home look great too!
Think about lighting
There are two main ways you can save money when it comes to lighting your home. The first is to light your home for less hours a day- you can do this by making the most of the natural light that comes in. Admittedly, when it’s the middle of winter and pitch black at 4pm it’s not possible to do this, but those long summer evenings when it’s light until late (and a lot of the spring and autumn too) this is a fantastic way to use less energy. Make your home light, bright and airy; paint the walls a light colour and cleverly place mirrors to reflect natural light around each room. Be mindful not to block too much light coming into the windows by keeping large furniture out of the way, and considering the overall use of space. Clean, clear spaces will maximise the light coming in as opposed to very cramped and cluttered areas. Another way you can save money with lighting is to invest in smart bulbs. These can be set to a timer so arent ever being left accidentally when no one is home, and can be controlled by your phone no matter where you are. They can be used with your existing lamps, and you can control the brightness and in some cases even the colour.
Keep an eye on the temperature with the windows
In order to be comfortable at home, we want our properties to be warm in winter and cool in summer. Instead of running central heating and air conditioning for hours each day to achieve this, there are a few other things we can do. A simple option is to consider your windows. That air you’ve spent money heating or cooling can easily escape out of the windows meaning you’re having to keep that AC or heating on for longer periods or on higher settings. New, energy efficient windows are fantastic but if they’re out of your budget then consider what you can do. Thick curtains will block out drafts on cold days. Blackout blinds will stop the suns rays from heating up your rooms too much during the summer and keep them cool. You can even buy custom solar window screens from a brand like Quality Window Screen for a perfect fit. Simply pull them down over the windows on warm evenings. When you go to bed, your room will feel cool and shaded and promote a better night’s sleep.
Upgrade your kitchen appliances
If you’ve had your oven, washing machine, tumble dryer and other appliances for a long time, chances are they’re not the most energy efficient. As the time comes to replace these things, do your research and look for those with the best EPC ratings. Not only will they look sleek and modern in your kitchen, but will cost you less to run too.