Top 10 Summer Energy Saving Tips

Summer officially begins in the U.K on the 20th June. This year more than ever everyone will be looking to save money on their energy bills as we move into a period of uncertainty following COVID-19 and the fallout from lockdown. You may think you don’t use that much energy in the summer, but you’d be surprised how much you can save simply by following some or all of our ten top tips for saving energy in the summer!

There are many good ways to save energy but it may be worth mentioning before we get into it, that replacing your boiler in the summer is definitely a good idea. It may sound crazy to replace your boiler during summer when you don’t need it but, that’s exactly why it’s a great idea. For the following reasons:

First of all, you won’t need your heating so you won’t be inconvenienced when it’s turned off to have your new boiler fitted. Plus, if the installation runs on, it’s less hassle than it would have been during the cold of winter.

Secondly, heating engineers are quieter during the summer months so you can get yourself a real bargain. In addition, most boiler failures occur after the summer when people start to use their heating again. This means heating engineers become extremely busy, resulting in you having to wait longer.

Plus, getting your boiler replaced in the summer gives you plenty of time to do your research and ensure you get the best price.

 

Top Ten Ways You Can Save Energy This Summer

So, how else can you save energy this summer? Read on for our ten recommendations! Some are more costly than others, but don’t worry, there’s something for everyone, whatever your budget!



 

Seal Draughts & Insulate

Seal off any draughts during the summer so that you’re readily prepared for the winter. Check your home for draughty areas, such as doors, windows and chimneys, and get them sealed. If you want to get serious with draught detection, you can also purchase a thermal leak detector, which can provide a cost effective way to reduce your energy bills. These devices show you a map of your home so you can identify problem areas. Plus, there’s so many on the market too, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking the bank!

Insulating your home to ensure the heat stays in can be done by putting lagging in the loft and wall cavities. It’s exactly the same principle during the summer months - a well-insulated home will ensure the cool air stays inside and the warm outside. If your home is well-insulated, this will save you money all year round, so it’s definitely worth looking into.

 

Block Out the Sun

Unleash your inner goth! Cover up windows by closing blinds or drawing curtains to stop the sun from heating your home. This is especially useful during peak sunny periods or if you’re going out for a long time. Keep the heat out and the cool in. You can also invest in reflective shades, blackout curtains and honeycomb blinds too, which are especially effective for keeping heat from the sun out.

 

Use Portable Fans

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one - and quite often, the cheapest! Buying a couple of portable fans for the home is vastly cheaper than installing air conditioning - which is likely to be gathering dust for the majority of the year - and when the weather starts to get cooler, you can just pop them away for next time. It’s important to remember that portable fans won’t actually cool the air in your home, but they will keep you cool. So, don’t leave them running if they’re not pointed at anything, as you’ll end up wasting energy rather than saving it!

 

Smart Thermostats

While we’d love to believe that summer will last for months, we’re British, so we can’t make any guarantees on the weather. During the summer months there will inevitably be a few chilly days with even chillier evenings thrown in. A smart thermostat will adapt to the external temperature and ensure the temperature of your house is just right. It will also adapt to your habits and adjust itself accordingly, as well as offering energy-saving settings.

Another benefit of smart thermostats is geofencing, where the device knows where you are from an app installed on your phone. If you’re not within the boundary of your home, you won’t be wasting energy heating an empty house. It also detects when you’re on your way home too, so can switch on your heating and ensure the temperature is just right when you get there.

 

Don’t Fire Up the Oven

You might not necessarily think of this one, but using an oven or stove in the kitchen can increase the temperature by as much as 10 degrees. If the weather is nice, why not fire up the BBQ or the fire bit and cook your food outdoors? There’s nothing like a bit of flame grilled goodness to get you feeling summery! Alternatively, for foods you would normally heat on the hob, you could use the microwave as this uses less energy and produces less heat.



 

Minimise Appliance Usage

Cut down on your appliance usage during the summer and you’ll save energy - not just on the electricity used to run them, but also the heat output that these devices can kick out. Let the tumble dryer have a well-needed rest and hang your washing out on the line or the clothes horse, and cut down on how many times you run the dishwasher each day. You could also turn down the temperature on your water heater too, as there’s no point wasting energy to keep water piping hot all the time when the likelihood is you won’t be needing it quite so much - especially seeing as water heating accounts for 18% of the energy consumed in your home!

 

Use LED Bulbs

Most households will have upgraded to LED bulbs by now - they’re better for the environment, they last longer and they’re much more energy efficient. It’s worth taking a look around your home at all the light fittings to make sure there are no incandescent bulbs hanging on and wasting your precious pennies. Not only do LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity as incandescent ones, but they have very little heat output when they’re on. In comparison, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat!



 

Upgrade Your Windows

Okay, so upgrading your windows is an expensive proposition, but one that will save you money all year round by increasing the energy efficiency of your home. This ensures it stays cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. There’s also the added benefit of better noise reduction than older single-payne style windows. Make sure that your windows don’t have any draughts around them by using silicone to block up any areas that may be letting heat in or out too.

If you can’t afford to upgrade your windows, you can purchase solar control window film at a reasonable price, and this will help reflect some of the sunlight away. Another solution is to open your windows during the night when the air is cooler and shut them again in the morning - free air conditioning!

 

Switch Up Your Tariff

Summer is a good time to change your energy provider, as often, companies can be a little sneaky and introduce price hikes just before winter hits. A summer switch could see you build up a bit of credit as your usage will be low. If you’ve been on the same tariff for a while, it could also be worth switching as introductory offers are quite keen to entice people, but usually, once they’ve got you, they don’t look after you quite as well. This is similar to car insurance, where renewal quotes are overpriced because a lot of people don’t want the hassle of searching for quotes and new providers. A good tip is to sign up to sites like U-Switch, as you’ll be informed when a better deal comes along, and once you’ve input your details, you can switch suppliers easily.

 

Go Wireless

Unplug, unwind, and connect in a more meaningful way with your friends and family. Detach yourself from your devices, get outdoors and enjoy the great British sunshine, whether that’s in your garden or going for a walk in the countryside. Alternatively, start a project in your garden - grow your own fruit and veg, build some decking, touch up the painting, it’s up to you. The important thing is to spend some time outdoors, away from social media and the constant temptation to switch on the telly. Through this, you’ll save on energy consumption, and hopefully, gain some energy for yourself in today’s fast paced world.

Whatever summer 2020 has in store for us, hopefully with these energy saving tips, you’ll be able to beat the heat without breaking the bank!