Winter Warmth, Lower Bills: 5 Energy-Saving Tips You Need

As winter sets in and the weather gets chillier, the heating tends to come on earlier – and for longer. But while using more energy to keep warm is inevitable, there are still ways you can make sure your energy use is as efficient as possible while heating your home.

You probably already know some of the usual tips – draught-proof your home, set your thermostat to one degree cooler than usual, insulate your loft, etc. But you might not have heard of some of these energy-saving tips before. Here are five ways to save energy this season (and save on your household bills, too).

1. Consider swapping your furnace for a heat pump

Don’t underestimate the importance of heat pumps – while they might not be as well-known as other ways of heating your home, they can be a really energy-efficient way of heating your house by utilising heat that already exists.

The two different types of pumps – ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps – both extract heat from the environment, even in cold temperatures. Air pumps absorb heat from the air, and ground pumps absorb heat from beneath the ground’s surface. Both then work to pump this heat into the home.

While the initial outlay for a heat pump might seem steep, the energy and money you’ll save in the long run will offset the energy you would have otherwise used switching your radiators on more often.

Heat pumps are also fantastic paired with circulating fans to make the heat in your home go even further. Since heat rises, you’ll benefit from fans to help circulate the warm air evenly throughout the rooms of your home – especially if you have high ceilings.

2. Avoid turning your heat pump off and on

Once your heat pump is running, you might think that you should turn it off regularly to save energy. However, if you turn it off – especially when it’s cold – it’ll take a lot more energy to get its thermostat back up to an optimum temperature when you want to switch it back on again.

Heat pumps are designed to keep your home at a constant temperature, meaning they won’t be working at full power and using maximum energy all the time. As long as your home is well-insulated, you should keep your heat pump on at all times to keep it running at full efficiency.

3. Switch to an induction range

Did you know that induction cookers actually use less energy than gas cookers?

The reason why induction hobs are more energy-efficient than gas hobs is because there’s less heat loss with induction systems. This means that only the cookware is heated rather than open flames also heating the area around it, therefore using less energy to cook the same food.

This means that food gets heated up faster, as the heat from induction hobs is focussed on one area.

4. Install a programmable thermostat

A programmable thermostat (also known as a smart thermostat) let’s you adjust the times and temperatures that your heating system operates at, even when you’re not at home. So you can save money by programming it to become cooler, or switch off all together, when you’re away during the day, set different temperatures for different times, and manually change one setting while keeping the rest.

For example, say you have your system set up to put the heating on at 6am and switch off at 8am, and then to come on again when you return home at 7pm. If you’re going to arrive home later one evening, you can choose to make the heating come on later for that one evening through your mobile phone while you’re out and about.

5. Upgrade your energy meter

As well as smart thermostats, you can get smart energy meters. Smart meters let you track your energy usage in near-real-time, displaying your usage in pounds and pence. Making it easier to monitor how you use energy and take steps to save more.

Companies likeUtility Warehouse (UW) offer their customers free smart meter upgrades. And with UW in particular, you can save more on your household bills by bundling your utility services into one simple bill with them, unlocking further discounts.

Plus, the UW fixed saver energy tariff lets you fix your energy rate, protecting you from price rises for 12 months.

Remember – having an energy-efficient home doesn’t have to be costly. You can follow the tips at the beginning of the article, as well as get a free smart meter, to help you save energy. But if you’re able to invest in some of the heating systems mentioned here that do need an initial outlay, you’ll be saving for years to come.