We’ve been quite lucky this year with weather – the summer was great, and so far we’ve had a very mild autumn and lead into winter. But January looms large, and the forecast is already for really cold spells. So you need to be prepared.
With energy prices higher right now due to the unstable market, and more of us working from home, add in the usual increase in usage at this time of year, this spells huge costs if we’re not careful.
So what can we do to offset these potential costs?
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Turn thermostat down by 1 degree - According to the SEAI “You can reduce your heating bill by 10% by lowering your room temperature by just one degree
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Block the chimney - Energy Saving Trust calculated that a chimney draught excluder can save you €20 per year
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Move furniture away from radiators to let the heat circulate around the room more efficiently
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Improve insulation (from easy fixes like draught excluders and curtains, to more in-depth upgrades like adding more insulation to your cavity walls and attic)
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Switch to a better energy deal. At the moment you could save almost €600 a year on your gas and electricity costs just by switching suppliers.
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Be mindful of waste - lights left on, half-loads running in the washing machine, etc
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Turn appliances off standby - Electric Ireland has indicated that we could save around €46 a year if we simply turned our devices, such as laptops and televisions, off standby.
Some additional considerations include dressing appropriately at home (you should ignore complaints of being cold from anybody dressed in shorts or t-shirts, which is a regular thing in our house!!!), and being mindful of the energy you are using. If you have your heating on a timer / schedule you will not forget to turn it off – you don’t need it blasting all night, but you should have it come on for an hour in the morning as you get up.
Make sure you’re getting the best use of it, radiators can be turned down in rooms that aren’t used a lot – in our house the kitchen is the main point of gathering for most of the days, so we keep all other radiators at a low heat setting.
And lastly, it’s really important to make sure you’re getting the best price. So many of us put this off because it can be tricky to figure out which deal is best, and whether the advertised offer is actually worth moving for. But we should be switching regularly, and you can find everything you need to know at Power to Switch - an independent energy comparison website that will help you find the best deals available. All you need to do is grab a recent bill, and you’re off. In three simple steps you can be making savings from the comfort of your own (cosy) home.
What are you waiting for?
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Power to Switch is an independent energy comparison website which helps customers find cheap deals and big savings.
