Running a home has never been a cheap affair. Homeowners have to grapple with hefty mortgage repayments or rent as well as an assortment of utility bills. The latter includes a variety of water, electricity, gas or other fuel bills. These seem to increase annually, especially during winter.
Then there are the additional costs that come with buying food and other household consumables, paying the TV licence, council tax and home insurance. It is no wonder homeowners constantly complain of the stress involved in running a home. The budget that an individual draws up has to stretch to meet all these costs either annually or monthly.
Nowadays, with the advent of more environmentally friendly lifestyles, homeowners are looking for ways to save money on their energy bills while reducing their carbon footprints. The simplest way to do this is by making a home more energy-efficient.
Individuals who succeed in improving the energy efficiency of their homes are often pleasantly surprised to find that they are cheaper to run. In addition, installing energy saving measures in a home assists in increasing its overall market value and boosting its energy performance rating.
Simple ways to save money around the home
Although increasing the home’s energy efficiency is one of the easiest ways of cutting back on expenses incurred in running a home, it is not the only one. There are a variety of simple measures that homeowners can put to good use. Some of these are explored below:
- Replacing all traditional incandescent light bulbs with LED spotlights or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Lights should also be switched off in empty rooms or when they are not needed.
- The central heating thermostat should be set at 20°C for the overall heating level. Thermostatic radiator valves can be set at a lower temperature in the bedrooms. These measures will reduce energy consumption.
- Dress the windows using wooden shutters. During winter, these shutters help to trap warmth within the house while keeping the cold out. In summer, they provide adequate ventilation to keep the home cool, eliminating the need for expensive to run air-conditioning. Furthermore, the shutters are available in a variety of designs and can be painted to match any room’s décor.
- Installing water-efficient showerheads. These gadgets use less water than their standard counterparts and help homeowners to save on the money spent on water bills.
- Washing clothes with water at 30°C instead of heating it further. It is also a good idea to wait for clothes to pile up before doing the laundry so that it can all be done in one load, thereby saving precious energy.
Fun and creative methods to save cash
Other than conserving energy, homeowners can save money through frugal living. This might call for creative ways to control their spending. For instance, they can decide to plant a home garden to provide fresh vegetables or they can use upcycled furniture to decorate their homes. There are hundreds of ideas available on how to save money around the home and savvy homeowners should take advantage of them.
