It's that time of year again when the central heating gets switched on and energy bills start to soar. So here are some novel ways to keep your bills down.
1) Wash your clothes in cold water.
Washing your clothes in cold water might not sound ideal, but it does save energy. Plus hot water tends to set stains on clothes and shorten the lifespan anyway.
2) Bleed your radiators
This releases any air trapped inside them and improves their efficiency. By making your radiators more efficient, you should find you can reduce the amount of radiators that you have on.
To bleed the radiator, turn off your heating and let the radiators cool. Then put your `bleed key' into the valve at the top of the radiator and turn it to release the air. Be warned, a little water may escape once the air is released so you might want to have a cloth or towel to hand.
3) Defrost your freezer regularly
I know, defrosting your freezer can be such a chore, but it is worth doing as it will increase its efficiency. When you come to restock your freezer, ensure it is packed to the brim (certainly not a problem for me!) as this also helps it to work more efficiently.
In contrast, don't overfill your fridge as cold air needs space to circulate to work efficiently.
4) Vacuum the dust off your refrigerator coils
If you have never done this before, there could be a lot of dust on those coils. This may be making your refrigerator work harder than it needs to so get rid of that dust!
5) Don't hang clothes on the radiator
I for one am extremely guilty of doing this, but if you are drying your clothes indoors, avoid putting them on your radiators. By covering your radiators, you are preventing the heat from reaching the rest of the room. If you can't hang them outside, put them on a clothes rail in an unheated room, open a window, and shut the door.
6) Use Dryerballs in your tumble dryer
If you do need to use a tumble dryer, then Dryerballs are definitely the way to go. Dryerballs get hot when they are in use so they act like another heat source inside the dryer. By popping two balls in the dryer and turning on the machine, you could reduce the drying time you need.
7) Turn your microwave off at the wall
If you are not using your microwave, ensure it's completely switched off. Simply powering the clock can use more energy than heating your food!
However, microwaves do get the thumbs up overall as they are actually more efficient than the oven, so use them wherever possible!
8) Turn off the hob or oven several minutes before food is cooked
By turning off the hob or oven a few minutes earlier (leaving the food where it is), you will save energy and there will still be sufficient heat for the food to continue cooking.
9) Match the saucepan size to the hob ring
Ensure the size of the saucepan matches the size of the hob ring so you are not paying to heat the air. Gas flames should only heat the bottom of the pan and not the sides.
10) Turn your hot water thermostat down to around 60°C
This temperature is plenty hot enough for bath water and by turning the thermostat down you can save money on your energy bills.
11) Put a stop to all those draughts!
Around 20% of heat in an average home is lost through ventilation and draughts. On a cold day, walk around your home to check for badly fitting windows, draughty doors, letterboxes without draught excluding brushes, and gaps in floorboards.
You can eliminate draughts by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seals on all exterior doors and covering your letterbox and keyholes. Draught proofing your home could save you £30 off your heating bill.
Hopefully some of the above ideas are ones you haven't thought of before and will save you some money!
And don't forget one final way to keep your energy bill under control. That's comparing your current tariff with the rest of the market and switching if you don't have the best deal.
More: Get Help With Your Energy Bills! | Cheaper Petrol And Gas In 2009!