10 Ways To Reduce Your Energy Bills

In 2008 the economic recession hit in the USA and then into Europe. The effect was devastating for people all over the world. Although we are gradually moving into recovery, we are not out of the woods yet! There are ways we can help ourselves and save the planet at the same time, which is a great incentive.

Reducing our energy bills is a way of accomplishing both these goals abd I'd like to suggest ten ways in which we can do this.

1. Make your own Solar Panels

Solar electricity systems capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. PV cells don't need direct sunlight to work - you can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced.

PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey 'solar tiles' that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass.

Contrary to the interests of commercial suppliers, you can make your own!
The benefits of solar electricity

Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is a green, renewable energy and doesn't release any harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) or other pollutants. A typical home PV system could save around 1200 kg of CO2 per year - that's around 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be greatly reduced. A typical home PV system can produce around 40% of the electricity a household uses in a year.

Sell electricity back to the Grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can't use it, someone else can use it - and you could make a bit of money.

Store electricity for a cloudy day: if your home isn't connected to the national grid you can store excess electricity in batteries to use when you need it.

2. Use Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This is usually used to heat radiators or underfloor heating systems and hot water. Beneath the surface, the ground stays at a fairly constant temperature, so a ground source heat pump can be used throughout the year - even in the middle of winter. A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe - called a ground loop - which is buried in the garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into this fluid and is pumped through a heat exchanger in the heat pump. Low grade heat passes through the heat pump compressor and is concentrated into a higher temperature useful heat capable of heating water for the heating and hot water circuits of the house. Ground loop fluid, now cooler, passes back into the ground where it absorbs further energy from the ground in a continuous process while heating is required

3. Install Wind Turbines

Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Small systems known as 'microwind' or 'small-wind' turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home.

4. Insulate your home

Insulating your home is probably the most cost effective way of reducing your home's fuel consumption. If your home has cavity walls, installing cavity wall insulation could significantly reduce the amount of energy you use to heat your home, reducing heating costs by 15%. Solid walls lose even more heat than cavity walls; so if your home has solid walls, the only way to reduce this heat loss is to insulate them on the inside or the outside. By adding a weather-proof insulating treatment to the outside of your wall, the average household could save about 500 USD/ 380 BP a year. As 15% of heat loss is through the roof, installing loft insulation is a simple and cost-effective way to reduce your heating bills, and it can easily be done with out the need for professionals. The insulation works like a duvet on a bed, trapping the rising heat from the house below. If you install the recommended 270mm depth of loft insulation, you could save around 300 USD/155 BP a year on your heating bills.

5. Use Energy Saving Light Bulbs

One of the quickest and easiest ways you can immediately start saving energy is by switching to energy saving light bulbs. They last about 12 times longer than conventional bulbs and are now cheaper to buy with many stores offering great deals to encourage their use. The average home uses 17 bulbs and it has been calculated that by switching all of them to energy saving bulbs you could save as much as 180 USD/120 BP per year!
6. Switch To Wood Fuelled Stoves and Burners

Wood fuelled heating systems generally burn wood pellets, chips or logs to power central heating and hot water boilers or to provide warmth in a single room. There are two main ways of using wood to heat you home: Firstly, a standalone stove burning logs or pellets to heat a single room. Some can also be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating as well. And secondly, boiler burning pellets, logs or chips connected to a central heating and hot water system. The carbon dioxide emitted when wood fuel is burned is the same amount that was absorbed over the previous months and years as the plant was growing. As long as new plants continue to grow in place of those used for fuel, the process is sustainable

7. Change Your Energy Supplier

This is one of the simplest ways of saving money. Many people have had the same supplier for years and are worried about the hassle of switching, but it is actually very simple - millions of people switch their energy supplier every year saving tons of money. You can easily compare prices by looking on the internet at various supplier costs.

8. Look after your boiler

The current lifespan of a boiler is around 10 years, after which it will begin to lose efficiency, wasting both your gas and cash. Choosing a heating system with a condensing boiler and heating controls could make a huge difference over time. Condensing boilers are the most efficient available as they waste the least amount of energy. They convert over 90% of the fuel they use into useful heat compared to around 60% for an old conventional boiler. And having heating controls fitted could typically save you around 15% on your heating bill. What's more, fitting a condensing boiler along with a full set of heating controls could save as much as 45% of your heating fuel bill. Make sure you have your boiler services regularly. This will save you money in the long term.

9. Watch water usage

According to the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, simply taking showers instead of baths saves you a whopping 30% less water. If you have more bedrooms than people in your home you could save over 200 BP by switching to a water meter so you only pay for the water that you actually use. If you're unsure contact your water company and ask them to provide you with a 'water meter calculator'. With an accurate comparison this will make it easy for you to work out if you could save. Leaking taps can also add to mounting fuel bills - in just one day, a dripping hot water tap can provide enough water to fill a bath. Make sure that all taps are turned off and leak-free.

10. Change your appliances

Domestic appliances account for 47% of a household's total electricity consumption and more than a fifth of the average household's annual electricity bill is spent powering consumer electronics and computer equipment alone! Making sure you choose energy efficient electronics and appliances when buying something new could not only help to cut down the amount of energy your household uses, but also your bills too. Fridges and freezers should also be kept at least an inch away from the wall to allow the air to circulate behind them. This stops them over-heating and working too hard.

Implement these simple principles to save a lot of money on your energy bills.