6 things that are wasting energy in your home: revealed

Energy is a huge topic of conversation right now. We are all fully aware that there has been a huge price increase, and potentially another one at some point, which is leaving many households worrying about how to pay those big bills. While you can’t control the price increase, you can control how you use energy in your home. No doubt you are exploring ways to reduce energy usage in your home, but are there things that are wasting energy that you haven’t been aware of? I wanted to highlight some of those things to help you make some extra savings.

Leaving appliances plugged in or on standby 

We recently talked about vampire energy consumers and whether unplugging appliances saves you money. When you switch an appliance on standby and leave it plugged in at the wall, your appliance is still using a small amount of energy. It can equate to about 1p per hour, but across a few devices, and then per day, the costs can mount up. Get into the habit of switching appliances off fully and even switching them off at the wall.

Running the dishwasher when it isn’t full

A dishwasher is something that many people have in their homes, however, you might not realise that running a dishwasher half full is not ideal when it comes to energy usage. SaveMoneyCutCarbon have a range of freestanding dishwashers with high energy efficiency rating and whether they have a large place setting capacity, or features such as load sensors and targeted water distribution, they will help you reduce your impact on the planet whilst saving you money. But one of the easiest ways to save energy and money is to try and ensure that every time you run your dishwasher, it is full.

Not switching the temperature down when washing clothes 

The laundry is a necessity in any home, but have you switched the temperature down when putting in a load? Making that switch to 30 or even 20 degrees can make such a difference. Plus you could also take advantage of quick washes for clothes that don’t need intensive cleaning. Also, make sure you use your washing machine with a full load.

Using extra energy when cooking 

Using your stove and oven several times a day can be using up a lot of energy, so instead, try meal prep and cook in batches so you only switch these things on once. You could utilise the oven to cook all different things at the same time or cook lunches and evening meals at the same time so that you can preserve energy. A slow cooker can also be more cost-effective rather than using the stovetop.

Draughts 

Draughts are a huge waste in energy. Your letterbox, cracks in floorboards, or doors can mean that heat escapes freely and cost you more to maintain the temperature in your home. Seal them up to maintain the room temperature.

Not utilising off-peak hours on your energy tariff 

Finally, there will be hours in the day where you are charged a cheaper rate, so why not take advantage of those times? The off-peak hours are usually at night, so run your dishwasher at night and schedule your washing to be done in the early hours. It will be clean and ready for you when you get up and you will save money taking advantage of these off-peak times.