How to Use Less Electricity. Practical Tips for Everyday Living
Why you should reduce your electricity usage
Saving money – Lower electricity use means smaller energy bills. Simple actions like turning off lights, unplugging devices, and using energy-efficient appliances can make a difference.
Environmental protection – Most electricity is produced from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Using less power reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, helping slow climate change.
Reducing strain on the power grid – During peak times, high electricity demand can cause blackouts or require more power plants to operate. Using less energy helps maintain a stable and reliable power supply.
Tips to reduce your electricity
Bathroom
- Instead of taking a bath, take a shower, but don’t stay in it for too long. Try to keep your shower short. You can use a timer in the bathroom to help you stay on track.
- Let your hair air-dry instead of using a hair dryer. This way, it will avoid heat damage, and your hair will have fewer split ends and breakage. I usually let mine dry naturally, but then finish it off with a quick blast of the hairdryer to smooth it out.
Kitchen
- Stock up your freezer. When your freezer is empty, it has to work harder to keep things cold, but make sure you are not blocking vents or controls. If you don’t have food to fill up your freezer, you can use newspaper, shipping peanuts or Ziplock bags filled with water.
- Turn your hob and oven off early if using an electric cooker. It will still cook for a bit longer without using electricity.
- When you boil water, put a lid on your saucepan. The water will boil faster, which means you won’t have to keep the hob on as long.
- Keep lids on warm beverages. Travel mugs or thermoses are great to keep your drink hot for longer.
- Boil just the amount of water you need for making cups of tea or coffee.
- Instead of using your oven, use a slow cooker. This uses approximately the same electricity as a light bulb. Or use your microwave/air fryer, depending on what you are cooking.
Laundry
- Use a cooler wash for washing clothes. Reducing the temperature from 40°C to 20°C can save around 62% in energy use.
- Try to wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine.
- Reuse your towels. Before putting them in the washing machine, let them dry and use them two or three times.
- Air dry your clothes when they have been washed if you have the space to do so. (This would depend on the size of your house and the amount of washing.)
- Use dryer balls; this means you can reduce the time running your dryer.
Windows and Doors
- To keep the warmth in, it’s a good idea to put up some thick, thermal curtains on your windows. Closing them at night helps keep the cold out and the heat in.
- If you have floor-length curtains, ideally, you would want them open, or the heat from the radiator will be trapped. Or they are slightly longer than the radiator, try to tuck them behind.
- If it’s a sunny day, open your curtains or blinds and let the sun warm up that room.
- Consider using a “Window shrink film insulator kit” to wrap your windows. Adding clear plastic can help block out the cold. Some people even use bubble wrap for windows they don’t look out of, just make sure the bubble side faces the glass.
- Check the caulk around outside windows. Repair if there is a draft.
- Get door snakes/draught excluders for doors and cover key holes. To cover key holes, type keyhole draft excluder in your search bar, and you will find lots of products.
- Make sure that your door has a tight seal. After closing your exterior door, run your hand where the door meets the door frame. If you feel cold air, consider using some foam insulation tape in that spot.
Heating
- I have storage heaters at home, but I actually prefer oil-filled radiators. They’re easier to control since you can just turn them on and off without waiting between cycles, plus they’re more energy-efficient. Storage heaters charge up overnight and take advantage of cheaper electric rates, but if you work a typical 9-5, the heat comes out in the morning. So, at night when you need it, they’re not as effective as oil-filled radiators.
- If you do have central heating, get more out of your radiator by putting a reflective insulation sheet behind it. This helps bounce the heat back into the room and reduces heat loss. Some people use foil that you would cook with.
- Bleed radiators regularly and make sure no furniture is blocking the airflow from them.
- Lowering your thermostat and layering up with clothing can help, too. Try wearing thermal clothes like vests, leggings, body suits, and thick socks to stay warm without cranking up the heat.
- Don’t forget to wear jumpers or cardigans and warm slippers with thick soles.
- An electric blanket is a great investment for winter, too. They’re cheap to run and super cosy when it’s cold, and the heating is off. Just remember not to use a water bottle with them.
General
- Unplug your devices and turn the lights off when you are not using them.
- Avoid charging your mobile/tablet overnight. Charging overnight can harm the battery, and after the battery is at 100%, there is a trickle charge. The battery is constantly being topped up through the night to maintain that charge.
- Use extension leads that have individually switched sockets to switch off gadgets.
- Purchase the most energy-efficient appliances within your budget. Every washing machine, fridge, freezer, dryer, water heater and dishwasher sold in the UK and the EU carries an energy efficiency label known as Label 2020. When you visit the shop or browse online, you can now see a letter. It goes from G to A. The closer to A, the better it is for saving energy and money.
- Perform regular maintenance on your appliances to make sure they are running efficiently and not wasting energy.
For more information on tips to reduce your electricity, click on the link below. “Which” is a 100% independent organisation.
https://www.which.co.uk/l/utilities
Do you have any energy-saving tips? How do you reduce your electricity usage? Please let me know in the comments section.
