It’s no secret that this winter is shaping up to be a struggle for so many households in the UK. With rising energy bills on the minds of millions – the cold weather has the potential to ask some difficult questions of us all. When do you put the heating on? When can you afford to?

Obviously, there are challenges ahead – but there are also ways to save energy here and there that can add up over the course of a few months. Below are a few tips to help you feel a bit better about the prospect of turning up that thermostat.

Keep out the cold

Although it may be an obvious solution, taking care of the draughty areas in your home can be one of the best ways to save energy. Draughts not only let in the cold, but also allow heat to escape – so it’s no surprise that draught proofing could save you up to £25 per year. A chimney draught excluder could save
you an additional £17 per year while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Upgrade your heating controls

Over 50% of your energy bill will go towards providing heating and hot water. Updating your heating controls can be the best way to manage your bills by reducing how frequently you use your heating. Room thermostats, programmers and thermostatic radiator valves can all help to reduce your costs when used efficiently.

Maybe you only ever shower in the morning? If that’s the case – you can turn off the hot water for the rest of the day! Heating controls can save you roughly £75 per year.

Insulate your pipes

Pipe insulation can help to prevent heat from being lost from the pipes in your home. This helps to keep your water hotter for longer and therefore reducing how much energy is required to heat it. They’re really easy to install too! You simply place foam tubes around the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and your boiler – and doing so can save you around £10 per year.

Radiator Reflection

Radiator reflector panels are a cheap and easy way of saving energy. Instead of letting heat escape through an external wall, the panels reflect heat back into your home – reducing your overall energy consumption. Installing these panels could save you £19 per year.

But wait, there’s more

Maybe it’s time to consider the bigger decisions available to you. Have your kids left home? Do you need all the space you currently have? If not, downsizing to a smaller property to suit your needs could be one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption. Not only that, but downsizing could also see your council tax decrease significantly. If you think downsizing could be on your radar, or you’d just like to discuss the options available to you, get in touch with your adviser to talk through any queries you may have.