In our first blog post on energy saving in the home we concentrated on the bigger changes you could make to your home including loft insulation, draught-proofing windows and cavity wall insulation. While all of these will help you save money in the long term they will also cost you the most money to implement. You'll be pleased to know that there are also a number of changes you can make which will cost you absolutely nothing, here are a few:
Energy saving in the kitchen
Even if you're just cooking a simple pasta dish there are a few things to take into consideration to save energy. When you boil the kettle, make sure you only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need. If you are boiling your pasta on an electric hob make sure that you use a flat bottomed pan and if you are using a gas hob make sure that the flames are low. Remember that whatever type of hob you are using you should cook with lids on the pans.
You can also take some simple procedures with your fridges and freezers. Firstly make sure that you keep your fridge and freezer at the correct temperature. The correct temperature for a fridge is 2 - 3°C and the correct temperature for a freezer is -15°C, keeping them at these temperatures will also help to prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. To make sure that your fridge and freezer stay cool keep them away from the cooker and allow air to circulate behind them. Finally you should regularly defrost your fridge and freezer, a good tip of when to do this is once you can see about half an inch of ice around the insides.
Saving energy in the utility room
You should make sure that your washing machine is full before using it and use a low temperature when possible. When your wash has finished rather than use a tumble dryer to dry your clothes hang them outside or if the weather doesn't allow you to do this then hang them up on a clothes maid inside.
Energy saving around the house
There are a few other things that you could do around the house including switching the lights off when you leave a room and closing the windows as well as the curtains or blinds in the evening to keep the heat in. Another important way you can save energy is to turn any electricals off at the wall including your TV, computer, DVD player and any games consoles rather than leaving them on standby.
We hope these tips help you to save energy within your home and if you do have any others to share please leave them in the comments below.