It’s Energy Saving Week – six ways to cut your energy bills

1. Turn your thermostat down

Turning your thermostat down by just one degree won’t have a big impact on your warmth, but it will result in savings in your energy bill.   

2. Don’t fill your kettle

Heating and cooling use a lot of energy. The more water in a kettle, the more energy it takes to boil.  If you are making one cuppa, just put in enough water for that. The same goes for boiling eggs and cooking pasta. 

3. Cook smart

If you leave the lid off your pots and pans while cooking, you burn away energy. Putting the lid on a pot can reduce energy use by a third. If you have a cooker with different size hobs, try to match the pot size to the hob size – using too big a hob will drive up your energy use and your bills.

4. Get rid of the red light

That little red light shining on your tv means that it is on standby. Even though an appliance is on standby, it is still using energy. UK estimates indicate that older TV models, left on standby for a year can cost add as much as £15 onto your bills. Other appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and tumble driers also have standby modes.  When the red light is on, you are using electricity. Turn the power off and save the difference.

5. Insulate

Most modern homes have excellent insulation, but if you live in an older property you may not have this in place. Attic or wall insulation will help increase the warmth of your home and at the same time significantly reduce your bills. 

6. Boiler upgrade

Any boiler that is over ten years old is not efficient by modern standards. Boiler technology has improved, leading to energy and cost savings. Calor is offering new customers a free boiler when they switch to LPG. Existing Calor customers can get a bonus of £250 gas credit when they purchase a new boiler. They will also be entered into a holiday draw*. For further information on our boiler offer go to www.calorgas.ie or call us on NI 0845 075 5588