With the current price hikes and uncertainty in the energy sector, there is no time like the present to assess your energy usage and make improvements where you can. Not only will it save you money and combat the rising prices, but it will also reduce your carbon footprint too. Whether your priority is helping the planet or helping your wallet, here are some key considerations you can make to use less energy.
Lighting
We rely on our lights year-round and lighting is a great area to improve on our energy efficiency. Besides the obvious points such as turning off lights that aren’t needed, the type of lights you use is an important factor too. The supply of halogen lamps has recently been banned due to their inefficiency and fluorescent lamps are set to follow in 2023. This is all in an effort to push us towards LED alternatives; LEDs run cooler, last longer and ultimately use less power. Switching to LED lights can reduce the amount of energy you use for lighting by up to 90%.
Smart Meters
Installing a smart meter is a great way to see what impact your energy saving measures are having. Not only that, but it can also highlight further ways that you can change your habits to reduce your bills. Whilst it may seem tedious boiling only the water you need or turning your television off at the plug rather than leaving it on standby, seeing these small changes add up and being able to see the savings you are making in real time can make it worthwhile.
Heating & Insulation
One of the biggest energy sinks in our homes and workplaces are the heating systems, particularly at this time of year. It’s no mean feat to keep a property toasty warm when it’s freezing outside, as a result your bills can quickly rack up. Whether you have a gas, oil, or electric heating system it’s important to ensure it is working efficiently.
Up to date storage heaters minimise heat loss and use high heat retention (HHR) capability to maximise the amount of off-peak energy you can use. Meanwhile, modern electric radiators improve upon their predecessors in terms of efficiency by using smart controllers, highly accurate thermostats, and the likes of clay-core technology to minimise the amount of electricity they use. If you currently have an older system, you could see significant savings by updating it.
If you have a gas system you may be surprised to learn that conventional boilers can only reach 70-80% efficiency whilst condenser boilers can reach 90%, whichever system you have it’s important to ensure you have it serviced regularly and update it when the time comes as boilers will gradually lose efficiency over time.
Once you have your heating figured out, it’s just as important to make sure you have proper insulation in place. There’s no point paying to heat your home if the warmth is just going to be lost to the outdoors. If you need to improve your insulation the government is sometimes able to offer grants to help with covering the costs.
If you are looking to make improvements to your electric heating, upgrade your lighting, please don’t hesitate to contact your local electrician in Peterborough for advice on reducing your energy usage, you can call us on 01733 698151 or send an email to info@mdselementor.brilliant.digital.
