I’m an energy expert – six bill-saving myths to avoid as they WON’T cut costs
YOU might think certain energy-saving hacks will shave money off your bill, but they could be costing you more.
That’s why it’s important to know the difference between urban myth and the real ways to save money on household appliances.
We asked Nicholas Auckland, energy expert from Trade Radiators, what the most expensive mistakes were.
Just getting one thing wrong could cost you £150 more than you need to spend.
Here’s everything you need to tell myth from money saver.
“Leaving your lights on saves energy“
Myth. Leaving your lights on in rooms where it’s not necessary wastes roughly £25 a year.
If you do it all the time, Nicholas says the extra cost would “drastically increase”.
“A lightbulb doesn’t use any extra energy when it turns itself back on,” he says.
He suggests switching to LED lights to save even more – it could slash up to £55 off your annual bill.
“A full attic or loft is making your home hotter”
Rubbish. Nicholas says: “When it gets hot in the summer, you don’t need to start taking everything out of your loft in order to keep your home cool.
“Your loft insulation is what keeps your loft warm, and also helps it keep cool.”
Most people have some loft insulation, but it’s good to be extra thorough where possible.
You can also buy draught excluders to make sure your loft is extra insulated – which only cost about £9 from DIY stores.
“Turning appliances off at the wall won’t save money“
The average UK home saves up to £65 a year by making sure that all appliances are turned off at the plug instead of just in standby mode.
Nicholas added: “This includes the likes of TVs, games consoles and computers, all of which go into standby mode instead of turning off completely.
“It can also be a safety hazard keeping your appliances on standby instead of turning them off,” says Nicholas.
“I recommend switching off at the plug not only for energy saving reasons, but for safety reasons too.”
“Leaving heating on all day, even in summer, saves money”
No. It doesn’t. Nicholas says: “Unless you feel incredibly cold, I never recommend keeping on the heating all day – even at low temperatures.
“This will absolutely eat away at your money.”
He advises that you switch your boiler to “summer mode” which could save up to £150 – it’ll be in your manual if you can’t find the button.
Leaving it on in this mode stops your boiler from seizing up in the months it’s not being used as much.
That should make it less likely to break when the weather gets colder.
“Energy is cheaper to use overnight“
This is theoretically true but only if you’re on a special tariff or an economy 7.
Economy tariffs charge different rates for electricity during the day compared to the night time.
With an economy 7 meter, you’ll get seven hours between roughly 11pm and 8am at the lower rate.
If you use electricity for tasks that use a lot of energy at night, you could make savings.
Don’t try to use your oven overnight though – running this and some other appliances when you’re asleep could be very dangerous.
Bear in mind that it is dangerous to run some electrical appliances while you’re asleep.
Others can make a lot of noise, such as the washing machine, so bear in mind if you could disturb the neighbours.
Charging an electric car overnight is safe though and is likely to be cheaper than charging it during the day.
“A fan won’t make you feel any cooler“
This one is debatable.
Nicholas says: “Technically, a fan won’t make your home any colder, but it will help to keep the air circulating.
“It can help to bring in colder air from outside if you have it placed near an open window or door.
“So it can help you feel cool because the moving air acts like a breeze.
“They do work to keep you at a comfortable temperature in the summer and are a lot less expensive than investing in air conditioning you won’t use most of the year round.”