Christmas is around the corner and along with the price of all your lovely gifts comes the price of heating your home through the winter months. This year Brits are expected to spend a whopping £13 billion on presents at an average of £28 per gift so the last thing you need is a huge bill at the end of the month from using too much energy. This blog explores ways in which you can save on your power bills this Christmas and save money as well as the environment.
Christmas time is one of the greatest times of the year; a time when we get to decorate our homes will gorgeous lights, decoration and, of course, the Christmas tree. All of these additional appliances can mean more money spent on bills. There is a way to enjoy all the festive spirit and not pile on huge amount to the bill. Read on to see our top tips.
Unplug the lights
During the daytime and whilst you are asleep at night you don’t need the Christmas lights on as you aren’t there to appreciate them. Turn the lights off during these hours and you will cut down on your bill. You could set them to a timer so during the rush in the morning you don’t have to worry about the lights.
It is also mildly safer to do this in case there is an electrical fault with your tree lights that causes a spark. Even the chances of this are slim to none, it is better to be in your home and awake when your lights are on.
Outdoor lighting
There is no denying it. We all love outdoor lighting. It makes driving home in the dark just that little bit more pleasant when you pull up to your home covered in lights. It does, however, pile on the pounds to your energy bill as opposed to your waistline. Try to avoid huge outdoor displays that would put an American home to shame. You do not need the entire nativity, plus Rudolph, Father Christmas and an entire reindeer family hanging out in the garden. Just a few lights is more than enough and will help save the energy use in your home.
LED
We have all heard the hype surrounding LED lighting and it is even more prominent at this time of the year. LED lights are much more energy efficient than incandescent lights and they will last you a lot longer than the incandescent bulbs. Plus you wont have the entire tree blow out because of one silly bulb. LED is king people.
Dishwasher
Christmas is a time when your dishwasher gets overworked with dishes and plates needed for the next meal. Make sure you have an energy efficient dishwasher otherwise the old school hand wash in a bowl might be more efficient. If you do have an energy efficient dishwasher then make sure you fill it up before you run each cycle. There are also more energy efficient settings to use with your dishwasher that you should be able to find out in the manual.
Cooking
Trying to plan out your cooking schedule may be a daunting prospect but it is a good idea to do this so your kitchen isn’t in chaos and you save as much as possible. For instance, if you have an electric stove, you may want to cook some dishes in a crock pot as they use less energy.
Similarly, if you have three dishes that need to be baked at a certain temperature, bung them all in the oven together so you don’t waste energy.
The tree
We know that you all have traditions and a real Christmas tree is a familiar one. If you are open to change, consider getting a fibre optic tree. The fibre optics are LED and the tree is synthetic so it can be used year after year after year.
Keep the feet warm
Running around in the kitchen on a cold floor can send a shiver up your spine and your body will find it difficult to be warm. Solve this problem by wearing slippers around your home. You will feel warmer and will therefore avoid turning the heat up unnecessarily.
