It’s been a long, cold winter for Britain with many of us receiving more than our fair share of snow and ice, but the emergence of daffodils and the gradual rise in temperature is a welcome reminder that summer isn’t far away. For a lot of people this will mean turning off their radiators and opening the curtains to let in natural light, and for this reason the summer months have become synonymous with cheaper electricity and gas bills. However, savvy energy users can go one step further in reducing their outgoings by completing a personalised energy saving plan. By the time winter comes, you’ll be in good shape to make big savings.
What is a Personalized Energy Saving Plan?
A personalised energy saving plan is a list of strategies and tips you can implement to save money on energy consumption within your home. It’s entirely personalised to your home and your circumstances. It therefore gives you a way to invest in reducing your bills and helping the planet.
Designed Around You
An energy saving plan is designed around you so there won’t be any solutions that don’t apply to your individual situation. For example, no one will suggest insulating your loft if you live in a flat and there’s another flat directly above. From the obvious remedies of turning off television sets to the less obvious solutions of energy saving home appliances, such as kettles and fridges, everything will be tailored to your requirements. You might think your home is already quite eco-friendly but the plan will help you discover what else you can do to save a little more energy and money.
Save Money
Saving energy means saving money. Anything you can do to cut down on how much gas or electricity you use, will have a beneficial impact on your wallet. While householders may be happy to turn off light switches, they may be cautious about larger projects such as double-glazing or ceiling and wall insulation. However, the initial outlay for these improvements is outweighed by the long term savings made on heating bills. By insulating your walls you could save around £110 per year and avoid around 560g of CO2 emissions.
Help the Planet
It’s common to talk of your carbon footprint and we all want to do our part to help reduce our impact on the environment. Luckily, there are many things you can do around the home that can have a positive effect and an energy plan helps you reach that goal. If everyone in the UK owned an energy saving dishwasher, for example, we would save around £47 million a year from our gas and electricity bills and nearly 200, 000 tonnes of CO2. Get the kids involved in turning off lights and making sure TVs and CD players aren’t left on standby. If everyone makes a small change then hopefully together we can all make a big difference for the better.
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This post was written by...
Robert – who has written 317 posts on The College Investor.
Robert is the founder and editor of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to young adult and college student finances. You can learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
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Good idea. Cutting down on my energy expenses will also help the planet. Sounds like a win-win to me. Better get cracking!
Thank you for the great advice! I think it is commonly over-looked how easily we can control our energy consumption and over-all utility expenses each month. All it takes is some planning and simple steps to see a reduction in energy costs. See for yourself by catching rain water to use in the garden, unplugging electronics even when turned off and not in use, and saving the air conditioner for just the warmest hours of the day.
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