How to Lower Your Energy Bills While Working from Home

  

With many people working from home through winter due to the recent lockdown restrictions, it’s important to consider the added expenses this could cause. Although you might be saving money by not having to commute, spending more time at home can cause your energy costs to rise, especially during winter. To avoid seeing this utility bill spike, here are some energy-saving methods to follow. 

 

Wrap up warm 

 

Working from home negates the need for a strict dress code so use this to your advantage by wrapping up warm with layers. Instead of increasing the thermostat while wearing a t-shirt, put a jumper, bobble hat, and a pair of fluffy socks on. You could even place a thick blanket over your legs, but don’t forget to keep it out of view for any video calls. 

 

Central heating settings

 

Be realistic when setting your heating schedule. If you try working without central heating all day, you’ll likely succumb to turning it on randomly whenever you’re too cold. It’s difficult to keep track of how much energy you’re using without a precise schedule, and you could end up using more than intended.  

 

To gain more control over your heating settings install a smart thermostat, which makes it easier to monitor your usage and identifies where you can make savings. You can also heat individual rooms, such as your home office, and keep the rest of the property cool with smart zoning. This feature can reportedly deliver up to 40% savings on your central heating bill.  

 

Update your boiler

 

Inefficient boilers cause energy bills to soar. To ensure the appliance is functioning correctly, arrange a qualified engineer to conduct an annual service. When boilers near the end of the estimated lifespan of 15 years or continuously need repairing, it’s often more cost-effective to replace them.

 
All newly fitted boilers are condensing, which means they can achieve over 90% energy efficiency and lower your energy bills by £200 annually. 

 

Draught proof 

 

If you struggle to keep your home office warm due to unwanted air circulating the room, invest in draught excluders. First, determine where the draughts are occurring. Most draughts seep through windows and doors, which you can easily eliminate by placing draught-excluders across any gaps. Fitting thick curtains can also help retain heat but try to keep them from covering the radiators.  

 

Utilise natural light 

 

When working from home, you’re likely to use artificial lighting a lot more than normal, which will be another factor in your increasing energy bills. To limit this usage, open your curtains during the day to let the daylight stream in and naturally brighten and warm the room; a garden office pod will allow your office to be flooded with light, thus reducing energy bills automatically. 

 

However, if your workspace isn’t exposed to natural light, invest in LED light bulbs to lower your yearly energy bills by around £40. Also, remember to switch off the light when you leave the room to save another £15. 

 

Don’t overfill the kettle

 

If you’re prone to making hot cups of tea or coffee to get you through the working day, avoid filling the kettle to the top when you only need enough for one cup. Only boiling the amount of water you need can save you around £6.  

 

Winter is typically the most expensive time of year, with Christmas presents to buy and a greater demand for central heating. On top of this, unexpectedly working from home can increase utility bills but you can minimise this financial impact by using your household energy wisely.