Top energy saving tips from Allison Homes
This Energy Saving Week, which is running from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st January we’ve asked members of the Allison Homes team to share their top tips on how homebuyers can reduce energy bills.
Kelly Toms, Sales and Marketing Director at Allison Homes East, said: “Energy Saving Week is a great opportunity to have a look at your usage and see where you could improve it, both to help the planet and your wallet. We hope that these tips our staff have shared help people to make positive changes.”
Keep warm without turning up the heat
Trying to keep warm is one of the biggest energy expenses at this time of year. Our staff shared how they avoid turning the heating on by wearing more layers, using hot water bottles and warming up with some exercise, particularly on their lunch break if they work from home.
They also shared how they get the most out of their heating when they do turn it on. One of our team members explained that they turn the radiators off in unused rooms and make sure to keep doors closed to lock heat in.
Only have lights on when needed
Of course, you need to be able to see what you’re doing and where you’re going, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room to save when it comes to lights. It’s a good idea to turn the lights off whenever you leave a room, or as many of our team said, follow your children around and turn them off after they inevitably forgot to do so.
You can also save yourself all the running around by having lights on a timer, meaning they’ll never be on for extended periods with no one around to need them.
Plan your usage
Many of us could make significant savings simply by thinking ahead before using an appliance. One member of staff told us they batch cook their meals, meaning they have to use their hob and oven much less, and also noted that they benefit from the convenience of having a homecooked meal ready and waiting for them most days.
If batch cooking isn’t for you, instead you could plan your meals so that they don’t require multiple appliances being on at the same time, put any water leftover from boiling the kettle in a flask for use throughout the day, or simply only pour in the water you need at the time instead of filling it to the brim.
Take advantage of schemes and technology
There are plenty of options outside of manually tracking and turning everything off that can help you reduce your energy usage. Our staff take advantage of smart meters that can give them real time information on what is driving up their bills, or those who have solar panels use an EDDI, which is a device that diverts surplus power from solar panels and wind turbines and puts it to use elsewhere in your home.
They also shared the benefits of the EDF ‘Beat The Peak scheme’. This is an opt-in scheme where you earn money by using less electricity when demand is high. EDF sends an email to eligible customers confirming when to cut their usage, allowing them to earn up to £3 for every kwh of electricity that is reduced within the allocated time.
Allison Homes is building energy efficient homes throughout the country, to find out more visit, Allison Homes | New Builds Near Me | Allison Homes (allison-homes.co.uk).
