10 Tips to Save Energy and Money at Home in Winter

Winter is coming. That means increased energy bills for those living in colder climates, so this is a good time to look at how you can keep your costs down in the upcoming months. Heating oil will be more expensive this year. So will natural gas and electricity, (chances are your mortgage payments will be higher too) so your budget from last year may need some modification. In today’s article, we’ll talk about energy cost savings.

It’s also worth checking out Credello’s debt consolidation guide before delving into the rest of these suggestions. Cutting your expenses in winter won’t benefit you much if you’re overspending in other areas. Understanding debt and its potential impact on your life can help you avoid that situation.

Here are some winter cost-saving tips for you:

1. Lower the Temperature in the House

If you kept your thermostat at 16° last year, try turning it down to 14° this year. Those extra two degrees could translate into a few hundred pounds in savings over the winter. When you’re not going to be home, turn it down some more. You can always crank it back up when you get back. Think of degrees in terms of dollars and cents and this gets easier to remember.  

2. Install a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats automatically adjust the temperature for you for peak energy efficiency. They’re WiFi enabled and learn your habits and behaviours after they’ve been installed. Some states even offer rebates to folks who install them, since those energy savings for you also reduce demand on the power grid. That’s worth looking into.

3. Let the Sunshine In

Keeping your curtains open on sunny days will warm your home a few degrees and lower your energy bills. This is a simple solution that’s also healthy for you as a human being. The body needs sunlight as a source of Vitamin D and to maintain personal energy levels during the long winter months. Keep those curtains open during the day. 

4. Close the Curtains at Night

Opening the curtains every morning suggests that you’re closing them at night. This is a good idea because the heat you build up from sunlight during the day can be contained if you close your curtains at night. Leaving them open will allow that heat to escape, putting the burden of heating on your furnace, fireplace, and space heaters. A decent set of high quality, made-to-measure lined blackout blinds really can make a huge difference.

5. Seek Out and Eliminate Leaks and Drafts

Some experienced winter folk cover the inside of their windows with plastic every winter. They know that those cold winter gusts of wind will penetrate every crack, no matter how small. You don’t have to go to that extreme, but you should spend some time looking for “cold spots” where leaks and drafts exist. Plugging those holes will save you money.

 

6. Dress Warm and Put an Extra Blanket On

You won’t need to keep the house at 16° if you dress warmer and put an extra blanket on the bed while you’re sleeping. This is one of the easiest ways to save money on your energy costs in winter. It’s also quite comfortable once you get used to it. Retail stores and online shops have an extensive inventory of fleece and soft flannel winter clothing. 

 

7. Leave the Oven Door Open After You Bake

Don’t try to heat your home with the oven. That’s not cost-effective, and it could be dangerous. If you use the oven for baking, though, leave the oven door open when you’re done to let that excess heat circulate through the house. Don’t forget to turn it off when you do this. The house should be a few degrees warmer by the time you finish that delicious dessert you just made. 

 

8. Close Off Unused Rooms

Anyone who owns a big old house knows this trick. Those unused rooms do not need to be heated. Close them off and shut any vents if you have forced hot air heat. Turn off the radiators if you have forced hot water. If the unused room is a bathroom, shut the water off in there and drain the pipes so you don’t have to worry about freezing. If you have a conservatory with polycarbonate roofing, can you look into insulated roof panels?

 

9. Use Space Heaters for Smaller Rooms

Many people work from home these days and only use one room in the house during the day. Turn your thermostat down and use a space heater for your home office. Your electric bill might increase slightly, but you won’t be burning gas or oil, both of which are significantly more expensive. For best results, buy a space heater with a thermostat.  

 

10. Use a Fan to Circulate Heat

Ceiling fans aren’t just for circulating cool air in summer. They can also help move around warm air during colder months. If you have them, keep them running. It will help to warm up the house. For best results, use the “reverse” switch on the fan that changes the direction to clockwise, causing an updraft instead of the cooling downdraft you use in summer. 

Top tips to save money on energy in the home this winter

The cost of living can be expensive, but there are ways to save money. In this blog post, we will discuss how to save energy in the home this winter. Heating your home can be expensive, but there are ways to reduce the cost. We will provide tips on how to save energy with your heating system, as well as tips on how to draft-proof your home. We will also discuss other ways to save money on energy this winter, such as using less electricity and saving water. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to save money this winter.

Most people are aware that leaving electrical items on standby can add up to a lot of wasted energy and money over time, but did you know that some of the most energy-intensive items in your home are actually quite commonly left on? Things like your TV, DVD player, games console and stereo are all commonly left on standby, costing you needlessly. To save energy and money, simply switch them off at the socket when you’re not using them. You could save up to £30 a year by doing this!

You can use smart plugs if you have them to turn them on and off automatically when not in use or even use the smart plugs to monitor their use of W or KW. Loop is a new money-saving app in the energy scene that is not only free but turns smart meter data into useful insights that save users around 10% on average!

Another way to save energy and money is to make sure your heating system is well maintained. Top maintenance tasks include bleeding your radiators (which only takes a few minutes and can save you around £30 a year) and checking your boiler pressure (which only takes a few minutes and could save you up to £80 a year). These are both quick and easy tasks that could save you a lot of money, so there’s no excuse not to do them!

If you’re looking for alternative methods to keep warm this winter, there are plenty of options available. Heated blankets, hot water bottles and electric fires are all great ways to keep warm without turning up the heating. And if you’re worried about the cost of running an electric fire, they can actually use less electricity than most people think. Look for halogen fires as the cheapest to run if you are heating just one room (commonly50p-80p per hour). Often these can be picked up from places like eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Draftproofing your home is another great way to save energy and money. Drafts can account for up to 30% of heat loss in a home, so it’s important to make sure your home is as draft-proof as possible. There are plenty of ways to do this, from using draught excluders to filling gaps around doors and windows with sealant. You can even buy a special film that goes over your windows and stops heat from escaping. I’ve used this in a drafty old rental cottage and whilst not the most eye-pleasing option on windows, it does cut down costs and is cheap to put in place if you can’t afford sealed units in the short-term.

Finally, one of the most important things you can do to save money on energy this winter is to understand your energy bill and tariff. It’s no use trying to save money with all of these tips if you’re on an expensive tariff that doesn’t give you any discounts or rewards for saving energy. Make sure you check your energy bill carefully and switch to a cheaper tariff if you can. You could save hundreds of pounds a year by doing this!

Stay warm and save money!

Do you have any tips for saving energy in the home? Let us know in the comments below! And don’t forget to like and share this blog post if you found it helpful. Thanks for reading! 🙂