Search: More about energy saving in the home
By Jasmine Birtles, financial expert from Moneymagpie.com
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Now that warmer weather is here, saving energy and insulating your home is probably the last thing you’re thinking about. But did you know that making little changes around the house now is a lot cheaper than doing it in winter and it can save you hundreds of pounds a year on your energy bills? It is also means you’ll be doing your bit for the environment. With that in mind, here are a few really great ideas that’ll push energy saving to the top of your agenda this summer.
Have an Eco-shower
Now, we promise this isn’t one of those gadgets that simply turns off your shower right at the point when you are about to wash off your shampoo. The Ecocamel is much smarter than that, and it doesn’t cost the Earth – just £24.95. You won’t need to change your existing shower, you just replace the shower head with the Ecocamel and start saving water and money.
It works by sucking air into the water stream and mixing the two together. The mixing process increases the pressure which means you don’t just get a trickle, but a normal stream of water coming from the shower head. Mixing air with the water means that you use up to 45% less water, so you can make significant savings on your bills. According to the manufacturers this can equate to a saving of up to £240 per year on both water and heating, based on a family of four.
The Moneymagpies have given this little gadget some thorough testing (!) so we can tell you what we really think. If you’ve got a full-on power shower then we found that it didn’t really work that well, but with any other shower it worked like a charm.
Sounds like this is one shower you really want to take! You can find out more about the ecocamel and purchase one, on their website here.
Monitor your energy usage
We’re constantly told that we waste energy in our homes and we could save thousands of tonnes of carbon, and loads of money, if we were more careful. Trouble is, it’s difficult to visualise how much you are wasting and therefore you don’t realise quite how much you could save. That’s why an energy monitor is a brilliant idea.
These clever little gadgets tell you in real time, exactly how much energy you’re using. More importantly they also calculate how much money that energy usage is costing you – also in real time. Be prepared for a shock if you leave the TV on standby overnight!
An energy monitor will really make you think about your energy usage, and they store data over long periods of time, which means you can see how much progress you’re making with cutting your usage and saving money.
Current Cost is a market-leading supplier of energy monitors, and their newest model, the cc128, costs just £39.50. Here at Moneymagpie we think it’s a worthwhile investment. Find out more about an energy monitor on the Current Cost website.
Big Summer Discounts to get you Ready for Winter
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s an extra reason to be thinking about saving energy this summer. Both British Gas and NPower are offering savings of 25% or more on the cost of a boiler service. Book before 21 August and pay £59 with British gas, or have the service carried out with NPower before 30 September and it’ll cost just £49.99.
Not only will having your boiler serviced now prevent you being caught out by a breakdown and expensive repairs over the winter, but a properly serviced boiler will run more efficiently and so save you cash in the long run.
What’s more, until the 31 August you can get up to 25% off the price of cavity wall and loft insulation with British Gas. With as much as 25% of the heat of an un-insulated home escaping through the roof, some good insulation will stop your bills going the same way. The discount means that you can potentially get loft insulation for £199, and cavity wall insulation for £175 (prices vary slightly depending on your property). And it could cut your bills by as much as £365 a year.
If you like to do a bit of DIY, NPower are also offering special deals on insulation. They have teamed up with Build Centre and Rockwool to offer 2 for 1 on DIY insulating rolls, and are also offering free delivery and safety kit when you order online.
Lastly, don’t forget that switching your energy supplier can save you up to £378! It’s quick and easy to switch supplier, so go to the energy-switching service on this site and start saving yourself money right now.
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