Although student properties generally have bills included, it is still important that you stay within your permitted allowance, which varies based on property size; as the prices of energy increased dramatically on 1st April, it is more important than ever that you remain conscious of your usage.
To help out, we have put together some top tips to help you lower your usage, keep the bills down & do your bit for the planet!
1. Turn Off Appliances At The Plug
Avoiding hitting “standby” can save you between £30-£55 a year, just by turning off at the switch! Apply this to the television, microwave, computers & more before you go to bed to save the pennies!
2. Turn Down Your Thermostat!
Lowering your thermostat by just 1 degree can save up to £80 over the course of a year! Making sure you are only heating the rooms you are using can also save you money - BUT - if you turn the radiator off, make sure you shut the door so that the heat from the rest of the house doesn’t escape into there!
3. Keep Cool, Wash Your Clothes
Using the 30-degree setting when you’re doing the washing, even if it means you use a longer cycle, can save so much energy! To ensure you don’t need to rewash clothes, pre-treat stains and don’t overfill your machine.
4. Avoid The Tumble Dryer!
Take advantage of the heating in the house and hang your clothes on a maiden or peg them out if you’re lucky enough to have a yard or garden! This can save upwards £60 per year. Just make sure, that if you are drying in the house, you make sure you adequately ventilate the space to avoid damp & mould.
5. Careful With The Kettle!
Make sure you’re not overfilling the kettle, as this is one of the most expensive appliances to run! However, if you need to boil water to cook with, it is more cost-effective to boil the kettle and then transfer it to the pan.
People on average boil their kettle 4 times a day. If you fill a kettle full (8 cups) it will take around 10 minutes to boil and if you calculate this for the full year, it will cost you £58.40 per year just to run your kettle. If you were to just fill the kettle for 2 cups each time you boiled it, it would only take around 2 minutes to boil, if you calculate this for the full year it will cost you £11.68.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, is the slow cooker, which is super energy efficient & convenient! Consider using this instead of the oven or hob.
6. Upgrade Your Bulbs!
LED bulbs are up to 75% more energy-efficient, so swapping them out could cut down your bill by a considerable amount.
