Top tips for becoming more energy efficient this winter
Posted 22nd October 2021
Making your retirement apartment more energy efficient
Energy consumption, cost and climate change very much dominate the news agenda right now. We’ve seem hikes in energy prices and the fuel crisis. We thought we’d highlight some easy ways retirees can become more energy efficient and make a contribution to climate change.
As the UK heads into the colder winter months, it can be a worrying time for retirees when it comes to affording their heating bills. We encourage people to try some of these tips to not only save money and make their homes more energy efficient, but to help cut carbon emissions.
Many of the residents in our retirement rental properties have downsized and are already making savings by having fewer rooms to heat. These extra ideas we hope could be useful over the coming months and could add up to significant financial savings over the longer term.
- Install energy efficient light bulbs – The technology has come a long way in recent years and something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a big difference to the energy efficiency of your home. Choose LED light bulbs for the most efficient source of lighting.
- Cook with lids on pans – This is an easy way to reduce the amount of energy that is being used as it helps speed up cooking times.
- Consider your fridge temperatures – Not having the fridge set too cold can reduce the amount of energy being lost through these large appliances, but please be aware this can impact the shelf life of food so don’t turn down too much.
- Turn off switches – Turning off switches and pulling plugs out that are not in use can all help save energy.
- Break the standby habit – Energy switching service uswitch.com says some of the top electricity wasters include stereos, TVs, desktop computers, laptops, and printers and scanners. Switching them all off when not in use is advisable. Mobile phones too shouldn’t be left on charge all night.
- Keep the oven doors open when you switch it off – This can help provide extra heat in your kitchen which would otherwise be wasted.
- Invest in thick curtains – Most heat escapes through the windows so investing in thick curtains or blackout blinds can help.
- Make the most of storage heater settings – Adjust the temperature setting to a comfortable room temperature and avoid having on the highest setting.
- Consider switching gas and electricity tariffs if on a variable rate – Although currently switching has become more difficult due to issues in the energy sector, make a note to switch as soon as more deals become available.
Moving into a smaller property in a retirement development can also help save money on heating and energy bills. At My Future Living we offer studios, or one and two bedroom apartments to rent in friendly retirement developments. To find out more please give us a call on 01823 793420 or email: [email protected]
