Energy Saving Tipspreparing your home for winter

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Start off simple with a bright idea...

The easiest place to start is to go around the house and check that you’re using energy saving lightbulbs.

Used throughout your home they could save £60 a year, and they tend to last longer than traditional

bulbs, which reduces another little cost!

Make a note of the bulbs in your house before you pop to the shop to be certain you’re buying the right

ones for your home.

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Let natural light do it’s thing

Got any South facing windows?

Keep the curtains open during the day to let the sunlight in and warm up your home naturally.

Make sure to close them as the sun goes down to stop any heat escaping when it starts to cool.

Keeping them closed on the North side during the day will also help to retain the heat.

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Weatherproof your windowsYou can always add extra protection to your windows

to keep heat in, look online or at big DIY stores for plastic sheets that seal over your window.

These act like another layer of glazing to help keep the cold out and, most importantly, the heat in.

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Whip out your sewing skills

Line your curtains with insulating material - it’s a simple weekend afternoon job where all you need is a

little fabric glue, and maybe a running stitch.

It can reduce heat loss by as much as 25%, which is definitely a tidy little saving.

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Timing is essentialKeep your central heating on a timer. There’s no need to heat a home that you’re not

using during the day.

If you like coming home to a warm house after work, set the timer for half an hour before you arrive - this will make it warm enough to get some heat circulating without

much unnecessary wastage.

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Simple science to warm you up

Make the most of the heat from your radiators by placing foil behind them, or a shelf 2ft above them.

Sounds crazy, but the heat reflects off of the foil and bounces back into the room - the thicker the foil, the more heat you get back in the room.

Fun Fact: This also works on WiFi routers for a better Internet connection.

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Man’s best friend

Draught excluders are another simple, cost-effective way of reducing the amount of places heat can escape around the house.

Get one in the shape of an animal if your landlord won’t let you have a pet.

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‘Tis the season to be frugal

Save money with your Christmas decorations and buy LED holiday lights as these use less energy than traditional fairy lights.

Every little helps, especially around the season of giving. Why not buy yourself a present in the January sales with all the money that you have saved?

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Now for the important stuffSomething as simple as paying your energy bills by direct debit can help you save up to £100.

Make sure you talk to your provider to be certain that you’re getting the best deal.

Some suppliers also offer discounts for little options such as receiving your bills online instead of the old fashioned way in the post.

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How can EAL help you?Even bigger savings can come if you haven’t switched your supplier recently.

You could be on the higher out of contract rates without even realising it.

Switching saves customers an average of £200 a year, thanks to the competitive rates offered to entice new customers.

So what are you waiting for? Give us a ring and find out what you could be saving.

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