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Top Tips to Reduce Energy Bills

Many people talk about ways to reduce their energy consumption, but what about energy that is produced and lost? Heating the home is a major consumption of energy and if your home isn’t energy efficient you can end up spending unnecessary money.

Avoid Laziness

Many people spend excessive money on electricity and gas each year through laziness. Having your central heating set on a timer so you don’t have to turn it on may seem like an ingenious invention, but it could be costing you more than you realise. People tend to leave their heating on a timer at the weekend, when they may still be in bed, wasting valuable energy heating a home that no one’s using. You’re essentially losing money as you sleep.

Convert to Renewable Energy

The beauty of renewable energy sources is that you’re producing your own electricity most of the time, cutting your utility bills. Any excess energy you produce and don’t use actually makes you money because of the feed-in tariffs in place by the government. With Solar PV, Solar Water Heaters and Wind Turbines being popular choices for domestic renewable energy sources, more people are choosing to become self-sufficient in their home. There's also claims that having a self-sufficient home can increase the value of your house and is more attractive to potential buyers due to reduced utility bills and eco-friendliness.

Insulate your Home

Failing to insulate the home properly can mean a lot of the energy you produce is going to waste. Not only is this bad for the environment, it could also be making your utility bills higher than they should be. There are many different ways to insulate the home, everything from minor DIY tasks to

Around 40% of a home’s heat is lost through the roof, the fact that heat rises is a major contributor to this which is why loft insulation is extremely popular for the home. Homes which have lost insulation of less than 270mm can have their loft insulation topped up so it’s more effective. Government grants are available and contribute 40-70% of your loft insulation costs.

Double glazing prevents heat being lost through closed windows and doors. Double glazing allows heat from the Sun to enter the room but insulate to prevent heat from escaping. Double glazing also helps to provide more security for the home as the glass is harder to break and often contains a double locking mechanism.

Cavity wall insulation is arguably one of the most effective methods for domestic insulation. Cavity wall insulation helps to reduce the 33% of energy which is lost through walls in the home. The government provides grants through energy companies to make the cost of wall insulation more affordable for homeowners.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a handyperson, using a sealant to fill gaps between wall and skirting boards, window sills, floorboards and any other gaps where hot air can escape will help to reduce small drafts. You can also use draft excluders for doors which let cold air in underneath.

There are many ways to insulate the home and avoid paying more than you should for electricity bills. With the cost of utility bills set to rise dramatically over the next decade, homeowners should be taking more precautions to avoid losing energy they’ve paid for by insulating their home and

About the Author

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Solarlec Solar PV

Disclaimer:

The above guest post is published based on the premise that it will be helpful and informative. The opinions made within it are those of the author and not of sunnyray.org. The links you may find within this post do not necessarily imply our recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

Comments:

Electrical Supplies says:
01-18-2012

Energy efficient light bulbs are by far the most obvious and immediate way to combat the issues here. This can be a great way for both businesses and household to reduce their bills. The more expensive ways are the likes of Solar Panels / Solar Energy.

sunny says:
01-19-2012

From the practical point of view, the light from the efficient bulbs has a lot of advantages. However, using energy efficient light bulbs migh pose some health risks (mercury content, cancer risk, etc...), as recent studies show.

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