Big Energy Efficiency tips this Big Energy Saving Week

Are you looking for the best ways to save energy at home? Look no further - your friendly money-saving vouchercloud team is here to help!  

The problem with so many ‘how to save energy’ blogs is that they recommend buying the latest (expensive) gear. They’re right; buying a smart dishwasher will save you a few quid in the long run, but what’s the point buying something new when you can make do with what you’ve got? 

The downside, of course, is that your boring old washing machine won’t sing you a song when it’s finished. Shame. 

So if you’re willing to live without singing technology to save a few quid, take a read of our top tips: 

Maintain Tea Discipline 

The tea (or coffee) aficionados of the world are united on one thing - don’t reboil your water. That means fill the kettle with one or two cups - however much you’re having - to enjoy the perfect cuppa every time. Better than making a perfect drink, however, you’ll find that boiling a little water in the kettle takes less energy than boiling a lot! 

Use some cheap vinegar to descale the insides and you’ll be using even less power to heat up your morning brew. 

Change your energy supplier. The loyalty tax is real, and you’re footing the bill 

Some recent research found that consumers pay an extra £782 a year just because of the loyalty tax. People getting their energy from one of the Big Six suppliers were, on average, paying £15 a month extra… just for the convenience of not shopping around. 

Thankfully, we have just launched vouchercloud Compare, meaning we do all the legwork, and you pocket those savings!  

Just remember - a cold house is bad for your health and for the house itself. While the ultimate way to save on electricity tip is to simply not use any, the solution is worse than the problem - your pipes might freeze, and you’ll soon find your home riddled with mould and damp. 

Take a trip to your local DIY store 

If you’re even moderately handy, B&Q has a wide range of insulation on sale. One of the best ways to save money on heating is to stop it escaping in the first place. Badly insulated lofts, gaps in your doors, or even just old windows can be the main culprits. 

In fact, around a quarter of lost heat will escape straight through your loft. Pick up a little loft insulation and fit it between the rafters for a quick and long term solution. If you’ve got a steady hand, you can seal around your windows to stop those pesky drafts, or even pick up a draft excluder in the shape of a dog. The choice is yours. 

Are LEDs still lit? 

The technology behind LED bulbs has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years - some can last around a decade, or 50,000 hours (that’s 50x longer than a normal bulb). If you’re looking for energy savings, just imagine not having to buy 49 lightbulbs per fitting every few years.

When you add it all up, that’s a big saving for you, and a big saving for the environment too (what we in the money saving world refer to as a win-win). Using, on average, a sixth of the total power of your common lightbulb to boot, you could theoretically kit your whole house out and forget bulbs ever need to be replaced for five and a half years. Not a bad bit of energy conservation. 

Whether you’re a DIY desperado or can’t tell the pointy end of a pencil, there are some quick and easy ways to dramatically reduce your energy bill. Better yet, you can usually find some amazing DIY discount codes with vouchercloud - take a look!