Being able to save on your energy bills can put you at a considerable advantage, as everyone wants to get the maximum efficiency they can whilst spending the minimum on it. There are tons of energy-saving tips that you can do to save energy at home without having to do too much or spend even more.
Here we will let you know some of the many steps you can take to be much more energy efficient in your everyday life.
Save energy with your boiler
Firstly, having a boiler and heating system that is highly energy efficient is a great way to save money on your energy bills. This system is what uses most of your energy when you run appliances throughout your household, so having one that uses up less energy will mean you will lower energy bills all around.
Energy efficiency for boilers is usually rated on a scale of A-G, with A being the most efficient and G being the worst. Most modern-day boilers will have an energy rating of A, meaning their energy efficiency is 90+%, which means your using very little energy in comparison to older boilers with much worse ratings.
Although the exact figure can differ depending on a number of factors, upgrading to an A-rated boiler can save you up to £580 or 20-30% on your heating bills. Although the initial cost may seem a lot, being able to save a huge amount of money over the entire lifetime of your boiler may actually end up being cheaper than an inefficient boiler.
Most energy-efficient boilers
Knowing which boilers are the most energy efficient will help you massively when making a decision on what boiler to get. There are a number of different factors that can affect the energy efficiency of boilers, mainly the brand and model.
Here we will show you some of the most energy-efficient models of boilers in the UK to see which is the best for you.
Viessmann Vitodens 050-w
This Viessmann combi boiler is one of the most efficient boilers on the market right now by one of the most successful boiler brands in Europe. It is a great investment to make with it being one of the best value-for-money boilers and it having great reliability. Most importantly, however, it has an efficiency rating of 93%, making it a great way to reduce energy consumption and lower your gas bills.
Viessmann Vitodens 200-w
Along with the 050-w, the Vitodens 200-w is one of the most efficient boilers where energy is concerned, having an outstanding 98%, making it one of the highest out of current market boilers. A Viessmann combi boiler will always be among the most efficient, having great features such as a matrix cylinder and combustion controller that keep running costs down.
Worcester Bosch Greenstar 28CDi Compact
Another top boiler brand in the UK is Worcester Bosch which manufactures the Greenstar 28CDi Compact, which is another highly energy-efficient boiler and heating system. This model has an ErP rating of 92%, making it another great choice for those looking to save on their energy bill.
Ideal Logic Combi C30
The Ideal Logic C30 is another great boiler if you’re looking to save energy, as it has a great ErP of 94%. There are also a few features that the Ideal Logic comes with to make it extremely reliable and well-run, such as extra frost protection during the colder months of the year.
Tips on saving energy
If investing in a new boiler isn’t something you’re considering or you already have one, there are further actions you can take to reduce power consumption, even more, to cut down your energy bills.
Switch energy supplier
Your energy-supplying company could be one of the reasons your electricity bills are so high, so switching your provider every so often could save you money on your bills. Switching your energy provider every 3 years or so should help you keep up-to-date with your energy prices, so you’re not wasting money.
Changing your energy supplier every few years could save you up to £237 on your gas and electricity bill, which over the lifespan of your boiler, can add up to be a lot of money. If you have switched within the last 3 years, it may be best to make sure you are on the cheapest tariff possible with your provider.
Turn down your thermostat
If you are looking to use less energy in your household, then turning down your thermostat could end up saving you a fair bit in finances. Turning down your thermostat by just 1ºC can actually end up saving you up to £85 a year, which means if you are able to go down a bit more, then you might save even more.
Obviously, it may be a bit more uncomfortable in your home if you turn down your temperature, but this can easily be remedied by putting on a few extra layers. If you did this, you’d be able to get extra protection from the cold whilst also being more cost-effective.
Home insulation
If your house has poor insulation, then around a third of the heat in your household could be lost through the walls. This is why making sure windows, doors, walls and lofts are all insulated properly and to a high level to stop heat escaping so that your home stays warm for longer.
The longer your home stays warm, the less energy you will have to use trying to heat it up, meaning you won’t be spending as much on your central heating. In fact, loft and cavity wall insulation can actually help you save up to £315 on your heating bill.
You should also consider double or triple glazing your doors and windows so that you can reduce the heat loss in your home.
Also, if you happen to have a system boiler, you can insulate the hot water cylinder so that there is less heat loss, meaning you can save up to £70 a year as less energy is being used to reheat the water.
Get an energy monitor
Energy monitors are used in households for your central heating system and are able to tell you exactly how much energy you are using in real time. Using this will mean you’ll be able to see whether or not you need to cut back on the energy you use if you are using too much.
Many installers will give out a smart meter free of charge, but in case they don’t, they are quite easily accessible at online stores at around £25.
Consider solar panels
A larger investment that you could make into reducing your energy bills is to get solar panels installed. Although, this can be quite expensive initially, using solar energy can actually help you save around a third of your bills, which over a longer period of time could work out extremely well.
Using solar energy can not only help reduce the electricity bill that you pay, but you can also receive money for any excess energy you produce every year. However, the breakeven point for using this method of energy is around 11-15 years, so it should be treated as a long-term investment to be thoroughly considered rather than an impulsive decision.
Bleed your radiators
Bleeding your radiators is something that should be done at least once a year to get the most efficiency out of them and your central heating. When your radiators are in operation, they will sometimes get cold patches on them, telling you that the heat isn’t running through them properly.
This is due to there being trapped air bubbles within the radiator stopping the water from flowing as effectively as it usually does. To fix this, you will need to have a radiator valve key or a screwdriver so you can turn the valve of the radiator and release all of the air trapped in them.
Once this is done, water should flow through your radiator much better and allow your heating to run effectively, meaning your boiler doesn’t have to work as hard to heat your home and you save money on energy bills.
You can also purchase and install smart radiator valves that will measure the temperature of the room and can be adjusted through an app to your ideal temperature. You are able to set a standard temperature that they should be at or even set a schedule of went to increase and decrease the heating.
Utilise the sun more
If you use natural light more by opening curtains and blinds, that would then mean you wouldn’t have to use your heating system as much. This will allow heat to pass through your windows and doors, meaning less money is spent on heating.
However, make sure to shut them once it gets darker to help your household stay warm. Doing all of this could save you up to 60% on your energy bills.
Minimise tumble dryer usage
Using a tumble dryer regularly can have some of the highest energy consumption out of all your household appliances, so using it as little as possible will help save you tons of your energy. Tumble dryers tend to be one of the driving costs when talking about energy bills so being able to cut these is extremely beneficial.
An alternative to using a tumble dryer is to instead use a washing line during days that are warm or dry as this will come at no extra cost at all. If it’s too cold and wet to be hanging clothes up outside on a washing line, you can invest in a drying rack placed inside, so you can avoid the extra energy usage.
Defrost your freezer
If you defrost your fridge freezer regularly, then that can help stop your freezer’s motor from doing extra work and therefore energy use will decrease. Defrosting can help you save up to £200 a year, so doing so at regular intervals will make a huge difference in the bills you pay.
To defrost your freezer, you will need to remove everything from inside it and unplug it so that no power is going to it. Place some towels around your freezer to collect any water that leaks out and use a shallow dish under the drainage spout to collect any water that comes out of there.
Make sure to let your freezer defrost by itself and don’t try to hack away at the ice or throw boiling water on it, as this could cause damage to the freezer.
Use eco mode
A lot of electrical devices will have something called “eco mode”, where they will use less energy and not work as hard. Using this on your devices more regularly can help you reduce energy use and, with it, the amount you pay for your energy.
An example of this could be putting your dishwasher or dryer on eco mode, which will likely reduce the speed and perhaps the effectiveness of them but will use much less power.
Switch to LED light bulbs
If you are able to get LED light bulbs rather than regular ones, then you should take the opportunity, especially for the benefit of saving energy. LEDs use a fair bit less electricity than regular bulbs do, so you’ll end up paying less but getting the same result.
Use a water-efficient shower head
Using a water-efficient showerhead will reduce the amount of water your shower uses, usually by decreasing the water flow and water pressure. With both of these being lowered, the reduced water use will also mean a decrease in energy usage and energy bills.
The reduction of water use can be all the way up to 50%, which when converted into cost can end up saving you a fair bit of money.
Lower your energy bills
We have shown you just some of the many energy-saving tips you can use to reduce your energy bills, whilst still being able to meet your hot water and heating needs. Using these will only benefit you and your household, so be sure to try as many as you can, as even saving a small amount can go far.
If you’ve found that none of these methods has benefitted you massively, then as mentioned before, getting a brand new replacement boiler may be the next step. Many modern boilers are much more energy efficient, saving you much more on energy and heating bills.
Get a quote in 20 seconds with Easy Boilers for a new replacement combi boiler, for much better energy efficiency.
