Big Energy Saving Week (#BESW14) with British Gas
I was invited to ask a British Gas Engineer a question about energy saving and decided to ask what was the single easiest way to save energy. His answer was:
Making sure the settings on the central heating system are in line with each other. For example if you have a room thermostat, the boiler thermostat (usually a dial on the boiler with a pic of the radiator next to it or on a digital display on the boiler) should be set to around maximum through winter. (Though with young children in the property probably best set a little lower to avoid the radiators becoming extremely hot and potential burn hazards)
I've been thinking about saving energy in our home. I think we are pretty good as a rule but, as I'm home with LM most days I know that there are ways in which we can improve. During the day we tend to spend most of our time in the lounge and kitchen. Here are my tips for energy saving there:
- Our house is pretty gloomy during the day so we usually have at least one light on. I tend to use the lower wattage lamp as this allows enough light but uses less power than our overhead lighting.
- I ensure that we all wear socks in the house, bare feet is a really quick way to make you feel really cold. Keeping socks or tights on means that this is less likely to happen. Both children are now wearing vests as a cozy extra layer to help keep them warm
- All of us reach for a jumper or hoodie when we start to feel cold. The heating doesn't go on if the cold person has less than three layers on!
- I use my slow cooker to cook the evening meal quite often, it's a low energy device and I think that the scent of the cooking meal makes the house feel warmer. That's probably psychological more than scientific though!
I decided to ask a few of my blogger friends how they save energy in their homes and they were quick to respond with some fab tips:
- Eileen at ET Speaks From Home suggests using radiator reflecting panels to stop heat loss through the walls.
- Mary at Over 40 and a Mum to One has switched to LED lighting where possible in her home.
- Angela at The Life of Spicers has turned down her thermostat by one degree and keeps doors closed to keep heat in rooms.
- Jenny at The Brick Castle uses her air fryer instead of her oven, especially when cooking in smaller quantities. You don't need to wait for these to get to temperature and they often cook more quickly than conventional ovens.
- Anna from In the Playroom suggests getting walls and lofts insulated. There are government grants available to help with this for those who are eligible.
- Tina at The Soup Dragon Says uses any leftover boiled water from the kettle to fill hot water bottles in winter, or to speed up boiling vegetables throughout the year.
- Jen at My Mummy's Pennies suggests using extra blankets and encouraging little children to share bath water.
- Kel at Writings, Ramblings and Reviews suggests really thinking about which cycle you need for your washing machine. Can you use quick wash or a cooler temperature?
It's so important to save energy, especially at this time of year, and remember you can always put those extra pennies saved towards a Christmas treat! Hopefully there are some useful tips here for you. How will you be saving energy in #BESW14?
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British Gas have launched the Hive Active Heating Control system which allows you to control your heating and hot water from wherever you are. Great if your plans change and you don't need your heating to turn on with the timer you have previously set. They estimate that it could save you up to £150 from your energy bills per year! No more heating an empty home and it even has frost protection.
I've teamed up with British Gas to give away a Hive system, worth £199, to one of my lucky readers. To enter simply complete the Gleam widget below. The blog post comment is compulsory and will unlock a range of additional entry options. Please read the terms and conditions.
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