Simple ways to reduce your electricity bill at home

With the rising energy costs, finding simple yet effective ways to cut down on your energy bills is a must. But where do you start?

Consider the graph below which shows the average cost of some of the most energy-demanding appliances.

Data for this graph is from Carbon Footprint.

Some of the appliances above are essential and must always be on, such as the fridge freezer. To bring down electricity usage of other devices in the home, we need to run them more efficiently.

Lighten your electric load

Why not replace old incandescent light bulbs with LEDs?

The energy savings will quickly offset the initial cost of replacing standard 100W bulbs.

Not only are LEDs more energy efficient, but they also come in a range of shades including cool to warm. This means you can create the perfect room lighting ambience in addition to reducing energy usage.

Reducing washing machine usage

Don’t use your washing machine when the load is only half full. Instead, wait until you have close to a full load.

Over time this will cut down on the number of wash cycles carried out and help bring down electricity costs. This will also reduce the amount of laundry powder/softener used over time.

The same goes for using a tumble drier – wait until you have a full load before switching it on.

Cutting down TV electricity costs

To help keep TV electricity costs low try switching it off when you’re not actively watching TV. For example, if you are cooking in the kitchen, turn off the TV in the other room.

If the TV is on in the background and you’re scrolling on your phone, switch it off.

Changing dishwasher settings

Try switching your dishwasher to the ‘eco’ setting, if available. It will consume less energy since it will wash dishes at a lower temperature.

Also, don’t overload the dishwasher. It can be tempting to put in as many dishes as possible, but this can lower the efficiency of the dishwasher to effectively clean all the dishes.

Moreover, scrape off any large food bits from your dishes prior to loading them into the dishwasher. This will mean a smaller chance of having to re-run the dishwashing cycle if there's dirt remaining.