6 Energy Saving Tips Around the House to Make Now!

Many of us are more invested in being more eco friendly in our homes and in our lifestyle. We are making smarter decisions as we understand more about saving energy. We want to make better choices in an effort to look after our beautiful planet and one way to do that is to make some simple swaps and implement energy saving tips around the house.

I am collaborating with Save Money Cut Carbon each month to bring articles and tips on how we can all make small changes that will add up over the year. Sometimes the thought of going green might sound daunting and you don’t know where to start. We are taking the lead and implementing small changes and explaining how and why they are important.

To understand how SaveMoneyCutCarbon are disrupting the market with their amazing club which brings huge discounts direct to the public read SaveMoneyCutCarbon: Make a Difference Today

In addition to saving energy, we all want to save money.

Here are 6 of my favourite energy saving tips.

Light Bulbs

You’ll save ££ for each light bulb you replace with LED. On average by switching to LED you can save up to 90% on your energy bills over the year, this is because LED’s are a lower wattage than traditional bulbs. In addition, LED’s will last around 15,000 hours each whereas a traditional bulb will only last up to 2000 hours – great news for landfill. 

SaveMoneyCutCarbon has sent me a range of LED products to use in my home. Lighting is a great way to add atmosphere and emphasis to different parts of your home. The Philips SceneSwitch LED bulb allows you to change your light ambience from cool white light to a warm white light, what’s brilliant is that you can even use SceneSwitch with your existing light switch.

A Ledvance cabinet light is ideal for in the kitchen, this is a battery-powered cabinet light that can be fitted anywhere you have a difficult to reach area that needs lighting up – it also has a PIR sensor on which means that it will automatically come on when it senses movement.

The Ledvance Vintage Smoke Globe is an absolute statement piece perfect for your hallway, dining room or living room. It’s the ideal atmospheric lighting for vintage themed spaces that need to warm and inviting. Ours will be used in the dining room.

“Vampire Energy Devices”

When we turn off the TV, we assume power isn’t being consumed. WRONG! The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that a digital cable box with a DVR uses around 43 watts while turned off but in standby mode. So make a point to go through your home and unplug those electrical devices that leave some sort of light source on its display screen.

You’ll be shocked at how many of these “Vampire Energy Devices” you have in your house! These devices run 24/7 year after year. Simply unplug these devices or put them on a power strip that has an on/off switch. Think of the money you’ll save!

Caulking

Caulking refers to filling any gaps around windows or doors. By caulking your windows and door frames each year, it’s the equivalent of closing several windows in regard to energy loss. After all, 43% of a home’s energy use goes to heating/cooling, and those little cracks and openings can bring your home’s temperature down in the winter and up in the summer! You can also use a draught excluder to achieve a similar effect.

Indoor/Outdoor Clothesline

Next to the hot water heater, your clothes dryer is one of your top energy wasters. If you can buy or, better yet, make your own clothesline outside. You’ll pay nothing for dry clothes, and they’ll smell “sunshine fresh.”

Tank-Less Water Heater

The average family spends 12% of its energy bill on running its hot water heater. A tankless water heater heats the water as it’s being used. Regular hot water heaters heat the tank full of water 24hrs. Every day of the year!

Dishwashers/Washing Machines

The largest expense of running a washing machine or dishwasher is due to the hot water used, NOT the energy needed to run the machine parts. Thus…see above!

These are my easiest energy saving tips that we can all implement to make a change. They just require a few small tweaks to how we live, yet they can make a huge a difference. If you start by switching to LED lightbulbs you will save energy and save money instantly – making it a win win eco swap.