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As the cold autumn and winter months approach, many families are looking for ways to reduce their bills and thankfully, this can be done by making simple tweaks at home. Experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk shared their best tips on “how to cut household bills as temperatures begin to drop”.
Consider an eco shower head
John Stirzaker, an online consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes, said that “most of us are guilty of taking longer showers than needed” but luckily, buying an eco shower head “will ensure you use less water”.
Eco shower heads combine hot water with air “which makes the water pressure feel powerful without actually using too much water,” the expert explained.
Eco shower heads can be purchased on Amazon for less than £13 and homeowners can easily replace their old shower heads with the new cost-efficient option in just a few minutes.
Don’t keep all of the radiators on
John explained there’s no point in heating up the whole house “if you only use around two rooms” and instead people should consider turning off the radiators in the rooms that no one uses, as “this will help you save on the pennies whenever you go to turn your heating on”.
Consider portable heaters
The expert explained: “Another alternative is to consider purchasing a portable heater. This way when you’re feeling chilly, you can put this on instead of firing up the heating around the rest of your home.
“This is a great option for people who work from home, have smaller families and for those who live alone.”
Move furniture away from the radiator
Sofas and tables in front of the radiator absorb all of the heat and prevent it from dispersing around the room so people should try to move these away during the winter months to save money on energy bills.
Check your insulation
Homeowners should check their home insulation straight away if they find themselves having to stick the heating on far too often.
If the house has poor insulation, people may benefit from having loft insulation put into place and although this is a heavy upfront cost, “it can save you loads in the long run,” John explained.
Only boil as much water as needed
Kettles use up a lot of electricity and boiling more water than necessary adds up to the energy bills.
John revealed: “If you only need enough water for two cups of tea and you’re filling up your kettle for four, your kettle is having to use more electricity for water you don’t need.”
Run the washing machine when full
Although it may sound obvious, some people don’t check the washing machine is completely full, which helps save an enormous amount of energy.
The expert advised: “Waiting until the machine is full will also mean that you’ll be using the washing machine less as a whole – newer models even have a quick wash or eco button which will use less energy. If you want to save even more money try using the machine at off-peak times in the early hours or later at night.”
Try to use the tumble dryer less
Similarly, the tumble dryer, which is one of the appliances that use up the most energy in the house, should be avoided.
“Try to dry your clothes on an airing rack if possible, just make sure your home is well ventilated to avoid dampness,” John recommended.
John Stirzaker added: “We always encourage people to save little and often and we know that this year people are going to be particularly mindful of their energy bills.
“A lot of people will be reluctant to switch on the heating to avoid sending those bills through the roof.
“But by turning off some of the radiators in rooms you don’t use and investing in small portable heaters you can stay warm throughout winter without feeling guilty.
“Other changes we suggest making include switching to LED bulbs and switching to an eco shower head.”
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