Easy ways to save energy in the colder months

It is hot news that energy bills have been increasing from last year to this year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Short Term Energy Outlook forecast, a 3.3% rise in electricity bills is expected in 2023, even when electricity prices are already 7.5% higher today than they were in 2021.

While it is something that is out of our control, there are many ways that we could save energy at home. From draught-proofing your home to modifying furniture and lifestyle habit changes, these energy-saving tips could potentially reduce your electric bill and save you some money.

Draught-proofing

Draught-proofing is one of the most basic ways to save energy. You can draught-proof doors and windows to stop cold air from entering your house so that there is no need to generate more heat. 

Caulking the interior and exterior of the window trim is the easiest way to draught-proof your window. You can also purchase clear film insulators and place them over the window frames to stop cold air from coming in.

As for doors, you can either add a door sweep underneath or weatherstripping along the door frame to maintain the warmth indoors.

Furniture

We sit, sleep and lie on our furniture for long periods of time. How do we keep ourselves warm then, while keeping the energy bills low? For beds, definitely get very thick and warm duvets so that you don’t need to crank up the heater while you sleep.

For people who spend a lot of time on their couches, investing in warm slipcovers would help to save energy as you’re feeling less cold. Velvet slipcovers, for instance, are great for the winter season where you could just lay on your couch feeling cosy and comfortable all the time. We also have chenille slipcovers that can help to regulate your body temperature, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Save energy with warm slipcovers

Lifestyle

Apart from some improvements you can do to your home, there are several other methods to help save energy. But this requires more of a conscious, continuous effort from every member in the family.

Take a look at what you can practise daily when it comes to saving electricity:

• In the colder months, our heaters contribute a huge amount to the electric bills. Turning down the heater by one degree Celsius can help save over £50 a year, according to Hubbub, a UK-based organisation that aims to create positive environmental change.
• In order for you to comfortably set a lower temperature on the heater, add warm and fluffy throws to your slipcovered sofa. That way, you’re able to keep yourself warm while reducing energy consumption.
• Lighting can take up to 5% of the total electric bill. Try switching to LED lighting – they use 85% less energy than standard light bulbs, and can reduce the load on your bill. 
• 90% of a washing machine’s energy is used to heat up the water. If it’s not for sanitary items, keeping your regular wash at 30 degree Celsius will greatly help in saving energy.
• Conventional ovens can use up a noticeable amount of electricity if used very frequently. So, every time you want to fire up the oven, try cooking in bigger batches so that the electric bill is worth every dollar paid. 
• Do you constantly open the oven door to check on your food? Try not to do that because that will cause 25 degrees of heat loss and it will lead to longer cooking time, hence increasing energy consumption.
• Keeping a fully charged device connected to a charger could mean you’re consuming up to 10 times more passive energy – hence the name “energy vampires”. Turn off the switch or pull out the plugs once the battery is full.
• An ENERGY STAR-certified appliance uses 10-50 percent less energy than those without. If you’re looking to buy new electrical appliances, look for those that belong in the green A category under the ENERGY STAR label, European Energy label, Energy Saving Trust Approved label et cetera. This would mean that they have been approved as energy-efficient appliances with the best rating.
• Leaving the lights on for a few hours a day when not in use can mean you’re wasting a few dollars a month. That few dollars will snowball to a larger sum over the year, when you could have saved it for something else instead. Always remember to turn off the lights and other appliances before you leave the house.

Stay warm this winter, and share any of your own energy-saving tips with us in the comments! 

Keep warm with sofa slipcovers