How to cut energy expenses in 2022
Without a doubt, this is a big subject right now, with the majority of us feeling the squeeze from ever-increasing energy costs. We’ll divide this into two sections: home improvements that can help you save money and low-cost DIY options so that everyone may benefit.
Home Improvements to Lower Your Energy Bills
So let’s start with house renovations that can help you save money on your energy expenses. Given the cost of some of them, this may not apply to everyone, so if you want to skip to the DIY portion, simply click here.
Doors and windows
This is an apparent improvement you can make. Your windows might lose between 18 and 15% of their heat. Upgrading your windows to double glazing will not only make your house warmer in the winter but will also keep it cooler in the summer since the extra layer of glass helps minimize heat radiated in by the sun.
The average cost of double glazing a semi-detached house with A rated windows is £5,500, making it one of the more expensive renovations you can make. Even so, uPVC might well last 20 years or more, allowing you to reap the benefits for a long period.
energy efficiency rating detached or semi-detached house Bungalow on the middle terrace, Mid-floor apartment
£120-£155 £80-£110 £65-£85 £55-£75 £40-£55
B £110-£140 £75-£100 £60-£80 £50-£70 £35-£55
C £100-£135, £75-£95, £60-£75, £50-£65, £35-£50
Annual savings from installing double glazing.
PV solar
Solar PV is the second most popular home modification for lowering energy expenditures. How valuable solar will be to you is entirely dependent on your power use and the suitability of your location for it to be efficient.
If you use a lot of electricity, are home most of the day, or have a big family, solar might be a wonderful way to save money on your energy bill. We recently utilized the solar energy calculator and a 4kW system for a 3 bed, semi-detached with a west facing roof and being out all day till 4pm to calculate the expected yearly benefit of £355 and the lifetime benefit of £8,572.
We made less-than-ideal assumptions here; if you have a south-facing roof, spend more time in the home during the day, or can accommodate a larger system, you will undoubtedly notice much greater potential advantages.
Storage of solar batteries
In addition to solar, battery storage is available. However, the judgment is yet out on whether these are a good investment in the UK due to the high initial cost. However, having battery storage reduces the need to purchase power from the grid and can even allow you go entirely off-grid.
Going off-grid doesn’t sound like a terrible idea right now, with energy costs on the rise!
Insulation
There are various forms of fortification for your home. Loft insulation is one of the most useful forms of insulation. In a poorly insulated home, a quarter, yes, a quarter, of the heat is lost via the roof.
One of the most significant advantages of loft insulation is that it may last for up to 40 years! Furthermore, it is reasonably priced, which means it will pay for itself many times over. In fact, the usual cost to insulate your loft with 270mm of insulation and the expected annual savings are shown below. All property types have paid for themselves in less than two years, leaving a total of 38 years of savings!
Type of property Typical price Annual financial savings
£680 attached, £580 detached
semi-detached £530 to £255
A mid-terrace house will cost between £500 and £230.
Bungalow £690 £365
a gas-heated house with no insulation to 270 mm of loft insulationThe figures are based on current gasoline prices. source
Low-cost and do-it-yourself solutions
DIY alternatives
Draught-proofing windows and doors – To begin, you may hire a professional to draught-proof your windows, doors, and cracks in flooring and skirting boards for roughly £225, or you can do it yourself. Weatherstripping tape, brush strips on the bottom of exterior doors, draught excluders, flexible sealant, and compression threshold strips are all useful. You might save an additional £45 to £65 every year.
Smart plugs – You’ve surely heard all the advice to turn off standby, disconnect equipment, and so on. While this is an excellent way to save money on your energy costs, it is not always practical. This is where smart plugs come in.
From here, you may program the plug to turn on and off at specific times. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, smart plugs may save between 1 and 4.58% of energy use, or around 500–1000 kilowatts per year. Insulating your hot water cylinder-Unfortunately, if you have a combi boiler, this will not apply. Increasing the insulation to a British Standard 80mm thick jacket might save an additional £35 per year for individuals who use a hot water cylinder. They cost around £17 and are simple to install.
You may also insulate your hot water pipes (pipe insulation) to keep your hot water hotter for longer, and add radiator reflector panels. These should only be installed behind radiators on outside walls since they reflect heat back into the home.
Upgrade your appliances: If you’re in the market for a new freezer, tumble dryer, or washing machine, look for an energy-efficient model.
First and foremost, seek appliances with an EU energy-efficiency grade of A or above.
It will resemble the image and will inform you what the appliance rating is.
What else can you do?
Switch off the lights and exchange incandescent bulbs with LEDs.. It may seem insignificant, but it may add another £20-£35 to your annual savings.
Do you wash at 30 degrees and how frequently? You may save an additional £30 every year just by making this minor modification.
Reduce your use of tumble dryers: you may only be able to profit from this for a few weeks in the UK, but dry your clothing outside! or make use of a clothes rack.
Reducing shower time to 4-5 minutes might save the average household an additional £70 per year.
Stop overfilling the kettle; you don’t need a litre of water for one drink, which costs you an extra £15 per year. You may save another £25 by installing an aerator on your faucets.
A washing dish, to be precise. You may also save £25 per year by utilizing a washing up basin instead of a running tap.
