Utilities

Everyone has bills to pay. Utility bills in particular can be hefty, particularly with the cost of living crisis.

Thrifters

Electricity And Water

Switch Off Standby

Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming.

Check the instructions for any appliances you aren’t sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record.

Draught-Proof Windows and Doors:

Chances are you will lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney. Sealing these and stopping draughts reduces heat loss.

Turn Off Lights

Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more.

Careful With The Washing

Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures.
Only wash full loads.
Wash clothes less frequently – can you get one more wear out of that t-shirt for example?
Maintain your machine – don’t overload the drum, don’t use too much detergent and clean the filters regularly

Avoid Using The Tumble Drier

Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes: dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather.

Spend Less Time In The Shower

Keep your shower time to just 4 minutes.
Turn the shower off while lathering up.

Swap Your Bath For A Shower

Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath, but showering is much more cost effective and uses much less water too.

Kettles

Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. But many of us will admit that we at least occasionally boil the kettle with more water than we’re going to use. Try to boil only what you need but if you do have extra put any excess boiling water into thermos flasks for use later.

Fill Your Dishwasher

Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of power and water you use.

Top Up The Insulation

Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation. Insulating your water tank and pipes is a quick and easy way to save money on your bills.

Flushing

A displacement device (eg. a water-filled bottle) in the toilet tank reduces the amount of water required to flush. Flush less often wherever possible and don’t use the toilet to dispose of rubbish or tissues.

Stop The Drips

Repair leaks immediately. A slow drip can waste much more water than you might think.

Personal Hygiene

Take shorter showers. Wet yourself, lather up, rinse. Turn off shower in between stages. Two of us in our motorhome can make 100 litres last 4 days with both of us showering each day and that includes water for cooking and washing up too!

Bathtime

Let smaller children bathe together. They will have fun and you use less water!

Pearly Whites

Don’t let the tap run when brushing teeth, or shaving. Turn on only when needed.

Washing Up

When washing dishes by hand fill a basin or sink for rinsing rather than let the water run.

Never pour oil or grease in the drain. It requires too much water to rinse it down and may clog the drain.

Drinking Water

Don’t run the tap for a glass of water. Put a refillable bottle in the fridge for your cold drinking water.

The Washing Machine

Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures.
Only wash full loads.
Wash clothes less frequently – can you get one more wear out of that t-shirt for example?
Maintain your machine – don’t overload the drum, don’t use too much detergent and clean the filters regularly

In The Garden

Use buckets and tubs to wash your car or the dog, rather than a continuous running hose.
Water lawns and gardens only when needed and only during the early morning or evening when evaporation is lower.
Cutting grass to no less than 2 or 3 inch height will reduce the amount of water it needs.
Sweep paths and driveways instead of washing them down with a hose.
Collect rainwater in a water butt for use in the garden.

Dehumidifier

Use a dehumidifier to help dry clothes indoors:

If you dry clothes indoors then having a dehumidifier in the same room will speed up the drying process. Dehumidifiers are much cheaper to run than a tumble dryer, speed up drying time, help stop the room becoming damp and you can reuse the water collected for something else such as watering house plants

Turn down the thermostat

One that most people are aware of maybe. Turning down the thermostat to 18 or 19 degrees will still maintain a comfortable temperature but will save on those fuel bills. Turning off heating in rooms you don’t use will also help.

All cooking equipment is not equal

Different cooking appliances come with differing usage costs. According to a recent study, based on average household usage:

Microwaves are cheaper than…

Air fryers, which are cheaper than…

Slow cookers, which are cheaper than…

Gas ovens, which are cheaper than…

Dual Oven (part electric, part gas) which are cheaper than….

Electric ovens

Of course, you can’t cook everything in a microwave, but you can be conscious of the most cost-effective way of cooking your meals.

Utility Warehouse

One of the ways of controlling bills is to shop around for your utility supplier. Utility Warehouse offers an all-in-one solution for all your household utility bills.

To find out more and get a free no obligation quote click the link below.

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