Winter is often the most difficult time of year when it comes to heating our homes. The drop in temperature means our heating is on more, and, when it comes to energy bills, whether you use a prepayment meter or pay a regular bill, it will no doubt be your most expensive of the year.

This winter all of us will feel the impact of the rising cost of energy bills. To help, we have put together some handy tips on keeping your home warm this winter, helping you stay cosy and reducing your energy costs too.

1. Save on heating bills

Heating is probably one of the most expensive bills you have as a tenant.

But there are ways you can reduce those bills and lower your carbon footprint at the same time the tips below are a good place to start:

• Turn down your thermostat by one degree – this could save you around 10% on your bill and you’ll barely notice the difference in temperature
• If furniture is sitting in front of your radiators, move it – it will be blocking and absorbing heat
• If your radiators have temperature control valves, turn them down in rooms you don’t use often and close the doors
• Turn off your heating at night and when the property is empty
• Reduce your hot water usage by reducing the amount of time you spend in the shower by a few minutes each day

2. Be efficient with your fridge freezer

Fridge freezers are on constantly – so they use a lot of electricity. There’s no getting away from that, but there are things you can do to reduce your appliance’s workload.

• Lower the temperature of your fridge to the lowest setting you can for the food you have stored inside
• Dust can gather in the coils at the rear of your appliance, so vacuum these regularly to make your fridge freezer run more efficiently
• If your fridge freezer is pushed tight to the wall, move it out slightly. This increases air flow and efficiency
• Defrost your freezer regularly. Ice build-up makes it work harder and use more energy
• Defrost food in the fridge – it will cool the food inside without using any additional energy
• Avoid putting hot leftover food in the fridge as this makes the appliance work harder
• Keep your fridge freezer full as often as possible – lots of cold and cool items mean the appliance doesn’t have to work as hard.

3. Smarter cooking

There are a huge number of steps you can take to reduce electricity and gas use when cooking – as well as utilising the heat from your oven after your food is cooked.

• Keep lids on saucepans when cooking – this will mean you can turn down your hob and use less gas or electricity
• Only use pans that fit the size of the hob – a small pan on a large burner means lots of wasted heat
• Keep your oven door closed when cooking – opening it to check on food lets all the heat out
• If you can, cook multiple meals at the same time and freeze them
• Microwave food where you can, as these appliances use less energy than ovens
• Use a slow cooker – these are cheaper to use than main ovens
• Leave the oven door open after you’ve finished cooking, as the retained heat will warm up the kitchen – meaning you can turn down your heating.

4. Washing Wizardry 

Washing and drying clothing and crockery can have a huge impact on the amount of energy you use and your bills each month.

Take these steps, though, and you’ll soon see the impact:

• Keep on top of maintaining your washing machine or washer dryer. Fluff can build up in filters, meaning your machine has to work harder, so give it a regular clean
• Dryers use large amounts of electricity, so try to avoid using yours unless necessary and dry clothing outside whenever possible
• Don’t dry clothes on radiators – hang them on a clothes horse, open a window and close the door instead
• Only use your washing machine, dryer or dishwasher when they’re full – half loads will use more water and more electricity
• Wash your clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40
• Use your washing machine and dishwasher’s ‘eco’ setting if they have one

5. Lighten up

Lighting is another place where you can save on energy consumption and reduce your bills without sacrificing anything at all.

• Replace any old light bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs
• Don’t leave lights on in rooms you’re not using, or in hallways – only switch them on when you’re actually moving in the space
• Let as much natural light into your rental property as possible

6. Keep the heat in

How much heat your rental property retains will largely be down to its structure, but there are small steps you can take to boost its energy efficiency.

• Place reflective panels behind your radiator to reflect heat back into your room
• Lay rugs on hard flooring to keep heat in
• Use draught excluders around the base of doors or in un-used chimneys
• Fit heavy curtains, they stop heat from escaping through windows and doors
• Report any repairs such as gaps or cracks in window frames that could be allowing heat to escape

7. Turn-off to save

Simply using devices like TVs or mobile phones in a more energy efficient way can really have a big impact on your usage and help reduce your bills.

• Don’t charge your mobile phone all night – it doesn’t need it
• Switch off TVs or other devices at the mains when you’re not using them, rather than using remote controls to put them in standby mode – where they’ll still use energy

8. Be aware of your usage

Simply being more aware of the energy you’re using can help you cut back.

• Check your energy supplier deal – do you pay more to use energy during the day rather than at night? Are you on the cheapest tariff for you? Find out which hours are cheaper and do things like washing at those times
• Most energy suppliers offer monitors that allow you to track the energy you’re using. These can help us be more mindful of our usage.

9. Switch suppliers

Now is not the time to switch suppliers and most advice is saying we should stay put until energy prices stabilise. However, we should all review our energy supplier at least every couple of years. Checking your tariff and providers on a price comparison site at the start of next year, once prices stabilise, could save you money.

10. Communicate with your landlord

If you’re concerned that your property is using large amounts of energy, or your bills are expensive, please speak to us. There may be steps we can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Kingdom Housing Association has an Energy Adviser who can work with you to find solutions to any fuel problems you are experiencing. Whether it is an energy debt, home efficiency issue or you are in a fuel crisis and without supply; you can get in touch for support. 

Call us on 01592 630 922 (option 6 for call-back requests)or email us directly at tssteam@kha.scot