How to save Electricity

The best and obvious way to reduce electricity bills is by cutting down consumption – and that isn’t as difficult as you might imagine; saving energy isn’t difficult to organise or necessarily involve great expense – the next step is to stop wasting what we do use.

A typical household can save between £45 and £80 a year simply by remembering to switch off electrical appliances usually left on permanent standby – remember to switch lights off when not needed, and you can add to that saving substantially. Here we will look at a few tips and offer a little advice on how best to save electricity;

Make sure that you’re signed up to the right tariff.

It is estimated more than 60 per cent of households have never switched their electricity supplier – and as a2 result, could be paying more for electricity than they need – many could slash their costs at a stroke – many think switching suppliers is difficult and time consuming – it isn’t. Don’t let the thought of switching fill you with dread; it’s a simple, quick process.

Historically variable rate tariffs are best value – currently, one-year fixed rates are cheapest, and all of the Big Six suppliers have pledged to freeze their variable rate tariffs until 2015.

Choose electrical appliances efficiently

When choosing a new – or replacing – a household appliance such as, a fridge, freezer, washing machine, dryer, or dishwasher, always check that the new model you intend to purchase has a good energy efficiency rating. Today, most household electrical appliances are rated on a scale from A to G, so finding one that is energy efficient is not difficult.

The cost of leaving appliances on standby

Having an energy efficient electrical appliance is only half the solution to cutting down on wastage.

It is estimated, on average, UK households are wasting between £50 to £86 a year by not switching off, and leaving household appliances in standby mode – around sixteen per cent of the average electricity bill. Any appliance that is consuming more electricity than it needs to – even a small amount each hour – will increase your electricity bill over the course of a year.

It might not seem a lot in isolation, but multiple this a few times, depending on the number of appliances left plugged in, on standby – and the amount can be significant.

Take a look at the chart below; you may be surprised at just how much electricity you are wasting: but also – more importantly – you’ll see where you can make savings in the future;

Choose an energy-saving television

As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the television, the more electricity it will use. When choosing a new television go for an LED type as they are more energy efficient than LCD or plasma.

Today, most televisions over 32 inches (81cm) are fitted with an ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the settings according to how light or dark the room is when you switch it on – tests show this feature can reduce energy use by between thirty and fifty percent.

Good luck, and let us know how you spend that extra money you have saved!