5 Tips for Saving Energy this Winter

As the clocks go back and the nights get darker, we’re spending more time tucked up indoors. With the festive period fast approaching, winter can be an expensive time of year between gifts and social events. Take one pressure off yourself by being smarter in the home with your energy usage this winter. There are several ways to be more energy efficient at this time of year, below is our list of 5 tips to save you some money this winter.

Be smarter about lighting

Switching to bio-adaptive lighting is a long-term investment to becoming more energy efficient in the home. This is where the colour temperature of light in a room is varied throughout the day to try and match the sun. This means that lights will dim as it gets darker outside, saving you a lot of electricity and also helping to get the kids to bed earlier! Bio-adaptive lighting is also a great way to make your home cosier and more welcoming – perfect for over the winter period!

Stay cosy the old-fashioned way

There’s no doubt about it, there’s a chill in the air and extra layers are required in and out of the home. An electric blanket may seem like the quick solution to a cold bed at night-time, however it is not a quick fix for lowering your electricity bill. You could save massively on this by using a faithful hot water bottle, fill one of up before bedtime and we can guarantee it will provide the same heat with much less cost!

Be heat savvy

Instead of manually switching your heating on and off whenever you feel the cold, try setting a timer so that your heat only comes on when needed and for an appropriate length of time. For example, if you are out of your house all day, set the timer so that the heating comes on for an hour in the morning for when you wake up and a couple of hours in the evening either before or after you come home. This will help manage how much oil or gas you are using.

Draught Proof your House

When the winter weather starts to creep into your home, you may start to feel a chill in some areas of your house. Instead of blasting your heating, you can take a few simple steps to prevent these draughts. Try using heavy-duty, clear tape on the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce any gaps. As well as that, close your curtains once it turns dark outside, this will block out any draughts in your windows.

Fill up your freezer

Your freezer is one of the most draining electrical appliances in your home and is on constantly. One way to make your freezer run more efficiently and reduce the amount of electricity needed to run it during the winter months is to pack your freezer much tighter. Start your Christmas food shop early by freezing food like meat, vegetables and of course Yorkshire puddings! Don’t jam pack your freezer as the air still needs to circulate, but a full freezer operates much better than an empty one. 

Have you any tips for being smarter in your home this winter?

Have you any tips for how to be more energy efficient in the home over winter? Share your favourite hacks with us on Facebook and Twitter using #SmarterLiving