How to save money on your energy bill

With the cost of energy at record levels, we’re all wondering how to reduce energy consumption and how to save money on energy bills. Read on to discover our top energy-saving tips and the simple steps you can take in your home to make saving energy easy.

 

How to save money on heating

Energy bills are at an all-time high and over 90% of the energy we use at home is used for our heating and hot water. So by making your heating system and your home as energy efficient as possible, you could save yourself a lot of money. Here are some ideas of where to start:

• Insulate your home

Check if you need loft or cavity wall insulation and consider installing double glazing if you don’t already have it. Insulation keeps the heat in during winter and keeps your house nice and cool during the hot summer months. So you need to heat and cool your home much less, thus reducing your energy bills considerably.

• Draughtproof your rooms

Heat escapes through the gaps and cracks in your home, so do a thorough check of each room and seal up any that you find. Check door and window frames, electrical outlets, fireplaces, vents and fans, attic hatches, letter boxes and the entrance points for electricity and gas supplies.

• Install a heat pump

With good insulation and draught proofing, you need to heat your rooms much less but what if your old heating system still consumes a lot of energy? The smartest move is to install a heat pump system.

Heat pumps are an unrivalled energy-efficient and sustainable way of providing heating, cooling and hot water. They’re powered by electricity so you can save significant amounts of money on your gas bill. While you will use more electricity, this extra cost will be outweighed by the savings you will make on gas. That’s because heat pumps extract free renewable energy from the air, water or ground and use much less energy to run.

Heat pumps are also very low maintenance, so you won’t need to worry about regular servicing or repairs. Their running costs are low and a maintained heat pump can last for 10-15 years. So they’re a smart investment in the long run.

• Get smart with your heating thermostat

One of the easiest ways to save money on your heating bill is by lowering your thermostat. You’ll quickly get used to a slightly lower temperature and dropping it by just one degree Celsius could result in energy savings of seven per cent per year.

A smart heating thermostat is a great way to stay in control of your room temperature, so you’re not heating rooms unnecessarily. All Daikin home air-to-air heat pumps and heating systems are controlled from your phone or tablet with the easy-to-use Onecta app.

You can change the temperature on your thermostat, review your energy consumption and set temperature schedules via the app. So if you know you're going to be out all day, you can easily turn down the heat and reduce your energy usage.

• Have a smart meter installed

Asking your energy supplier to install a smart meter in your home could also help you cut your energy bill by keeping on top of your usage.

How does a smart meter save you money?

An energy saving meter, or ‘smart meter’, shows you how much electricity and gas you are using at any time. So you can learn more about your energy usage and easily see how changing your habits can help lower the amount you use. Learning how small changes can help reduce your energy consumption is a great way to save money.

What impact does renewable energy have?

Governments worldwide are committing to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, making renewable energy sources ever more popular. Technologies that harness solar renewable energy and wind renewable energy are on the rise, helping to reduce our impact on the planet.

One of the benefits for households is the money saved from installing renewable energy technologies like solar panels and heat pumps in the home. As they draw free energy from the environment, you can cut your energy bills while making a positive change for the future.