We don’t need to tell you that rising gas prices cause concern for Brits as we head into colder months. What we can tell you is that to help tackle this concern, sofa and carpet specialist, ScS has offered these five easy adjustments you can make to your home to save hundreds of pounds on your utility bills.
Replace Regular Light Bulbs With LEDs
One of the easiest changes you can make, but one that could save you nearly £1,000 a year, is to replace your standard light bulbs with LED alternatives.
LED bulbs come in all shapes and sizes and are incredibly energy-efficient, which does wonders for your wallet. Indeed, LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity compared to normal bulbs. Most LEDs use at least 75% less energy, saving you a huge amount on your bill.
Move Your Sofa Away From The Radiator
Large pieces of furniture soak up heat, so if you place sofas or armchairs in front of your radiator, the warmth won’t circulate around the room as well. This means you’ll have to heat your home for longer, adding to your bill.
Moving your sofa even six inches away from the radiator will allow heat to flow around the room much more effectively. This can save you up to 10% on your bills.
The more space between furniture and radiators the better, but because heat rises, you can get away with smaller gaps if you don’t have much space in the room.
Don’t Heat Empty Rooms
Every additional room you heat adds a substantial amount to your bill, so if there are any that you don’t spend much time in, such as those you use for storage, consider leaving them cool.
If you have rooms in the house that you don’t use, turn the radiators off and close the doors, particularly in winter. This can cut your bill by as much as a third, depending on how many rooms you’re not using.
Move Furniture Away From External Walls
You’ll feel the cold more if you’re sat by an external wall, so if possible, try to position your furniture away from the outside of the house.
If you can arrange your house so that most of the furniture sits against internal walls, you should feel warmer. You’ll feel the heat from throughout the house, rather than the cold seeping through from outside. This should allow you to have the heating on for shorter periods of time and reduce your bill by 5 to 10%.
Corner sofas are particularly effective at making a room feel warmer as they leave less empty space for draughts to build. Ensure that at least one length of the sofa is against an internal wall to feel the most benefit.
Leave your Blinds and Curtains Open Longer
Try to make the most of the sun’s heat and let as much natural light into your home as possible. This will reduce the amount of time that you need to have your electric lights and heating on, saving you money.
It’s tempting to turn your lights on early in the evening and keep your curtains or blinds closed. However, try keeping them open until sunset, as the natural light and heat can help save you around 60% on your bills, compared to constantly having your lights on.
Furthermore, Kent Blinds and Shutters emphasises the role of blinds in managing indoor temperatures, ultimately leading to potential reductions in energy bills. Blackout roller blinds or Venetian blinds can effectively control sunlight penetration, limiting heat in summer and conserving warmth in winter.
This results in a more stable interior temperature, decreasing the reliance on artificial heating and cooling systems, thereby lowering energy costs. Such energy-efficient window solutions not only save costs but also contribute positively to the environment.
The Bottom Line
As we approach the winter months and the concerns around utility costs rise, it’s important to understand how little changes can make a big difference when it comes to saving energy and cutting down the cost of bills.
This means that cost-cutting measures are going to be really valuable as we head towards the end of the year, particularly ones that are easy to implement, such as the five we have listed here.
If you’re after some ideas on how to keep warm at home this winter, we’ve got just the article here.