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.
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