Yes, winter is here with a vengeance so long hot showers and cosy rooms are the order of the day. Plus, over the past year or so, we’ve become more used to getting our entertainment at home. All lovely but what’s all this going to do to your power bill?

We can save on energy costs but it might take a bit of determination (and cooperation from the family). Just think about how you could spend what you save on energy, though!

In this article, I’ll give you my tips for keeping our power bills down.

Making our homes more comfortable

Now more than ever we’re spending more money making our homes more comfortable. Over the past few years, many people found that investing in a home cinema, additional kitchen appliances like an espresso machine and even a spa or a bar is more affordable than going out, and you don’t need to worry about who’s driving.

Setting up a home office can work out to be cheaper and more convenient than commuting into the city two or three times a week.

But who’s paying for your electricity costs?

How to minimise your rising energy costs

Whether it’s summer or winter, there are ways to help keep homes comfortable. However, as it’s winter, let’s work at keeping our heating bills as low as possible. Some measures are simple to implement:

• Draught-proof windows and doors. Draught stoppers and weather-proofing strips are an excellent investment. Even a tiny gap on the side of your window can be a big hole to let in a draught. You can buy weather-proofing strips from one of our local hardware stores or see if the supermarket carries them.
• Add heavier curtains. Heavier, lined curtains help to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. You’ll be amazed at the difference this can make. You can pack these up and store them over the summer but if you have a west- or east-facing window that cops the sun in summer, leave them up. If curtains aren’t your thing, consider blinds with a thermal backing. They’ll only help by one or two degrees but that could be the difference between comfort and misery.
• Consider solar panels and battery backup. Using the sun to generate your own power is a great way to save on energy bills. The payback period is longish, depending on what size system you use, but you have the comfort of knowing you have power even in a blackout.
• Solar hot water. Depending on the size of your household, hot water accounts for 30% to 50% of energy bills. Solar hot water is the most efficient use of solar energy and will slash those power bills. The trick is to purchase a tank larger than what you think you’ll need. Even after a couple of overcast days, you should still have hot water (or you can use a booster heater if you run out).
• Use an electric blanket. Rather than heating the bedroom, an electric blanket is much more cost-effective at keeping you warm at night.
• Heat only the rooms you’re using. Don’t heat the whole house if you’re only using one or two rooms. Your heating has to work harder and pushes up your energy costs.
• Wear warmer clothing and layers. Invest in cosy jumpers or fleeces and add layers to keep you warm. Even wearing leggings or stockings under your pants or jeans will make a difference.
• Invest in a heated blanket. When you’re curled up to watch TV or read a book, cover yourself with a heated blanket. This will keep you cosy and warm and means you can lower the overall temperature for your heating.
• Use the oven to cook dinner. Consider using your oven to cook a delicious casserole. To minimise energy costs, think about cooking several casseroles at the same time. Not only will they cook faster when you have more than one in the oven, using your oven will warm up the kitchen. And a key tip: Find an old brick, cover it in foil and keep it in your oven when you’re cooking. Take it out after you finish cooking and place it somewhere strategic. It will continue to release heat long after the oven is off.
• Take shorter showers. Time yourself in the shower to keep those water-heating bills down. Or, you could go full-on hardcore and opt for cold showers. This takes a little getting used to but will help to boost your endorphins.

Be vigilant with appliances

Turn off all appliances at the wall when you’re not using them. This includes your kettle if it’s one of those that sits on a power mat, and your coffee machine as well as your Wi-Fi and TV. These all consume back-up power even when you aren’t using them. It isn’t much but over a billing quarter, back-up power adds up ‒ I’ve heard about 10% of your bill.

As well, some ceiling fans have a switch on them that reverses the airflow. While in summer you want the fan to pull the warm air up, in winter it’s better to reverse them so that they push the warm air down.

Need advice on selling your Gloucester region property?

As a proud local, I’m here to guide you through the process of selling your home. I specialise in lifestyle, rural and residential properties. I’ve done it myself and helped many families over my career. So give me a call; I’m here to help.