Low Effort Energy Saving Ideas

*Collaborative Post

Reducing your energy usage doesn’t have to be a huge task. You don’t have to spend a fortune upgrading your house with the most high-tech energy savings kit. You can take small steps that will not only reduce your energy usage but can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here are a few low effort energy saving ideas we love…

Heating

Heating is the main culprit for wasting energy. No one likes to be cold in their house and it’s ever so tempting to turn the thermostat up just one or two degrees to get the place nice and toasty. But we don’t realise how much of that heating is wasted and how much just one degree can burn through your fuel source. The important thing is to learn about your boiler and your home – how long it takes to heat up, the best temperature to set the thermostat, how much energy you use on average. One alternative that can help reduce the amount of fuel you burn through is the use of home heating oil, as it burns hotter and faster than gas, so keep an eye out for homes that use oil in their heating systems – you may have previously disregarded these properties, but they can be cheaper and more efficient. Check out emo oil for useful tips and get a quote for cheap heating oil.

Make sure your house is properly insulated to make sure that precious heat stays indoors and is not seeping out from your attic or escaping through single glazed windows. If you can’t afford to install double glazing there are plastic window covers you can get to help insulate or investing in thick, heavy curtains can also go towards helping keep your house warm. Even something as simple as draft excluders can make a huge difference.

Get smart

Get yourself some smart bulbs and smart plugs – there are a huge variety of brands available so you can source them cheaply. You can control them through an app on your phone and even set timers to make sure that no devices are left running, using electricity unnecessarily. A smart meter can help you keep track of your energy usage and can again, be controlled by your phone – the best thing about this is that you can turn your heating on before you get home to ensure it’s the perfect temperature when you walk through the door. Knowing your house will really benefit you here, once you learn how long it takes your house to heat up you can set heating timers so the heating is only on for as long as you need it.

Watertight

Be smart with your water usage – take short showers instead of baths. Invest in a more efficient showerhead; they are inexpensive and easy to install. Wash up using a bowl rather than keeping the tap running – it’s convenient to keep the water running but you are pouring money down the drain. It may feel like you have an infinite supply of water, but a significant amount of energy is needed for filtration and purification so wasting water is wasting energy.

These low effort energy saving ideas should help the planet and also your wallet. Do you have anymore to add?

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.