KPA Top tips on utility savings

Cutting energy costs and making savings, wherever possible, is on everyone’s minds at the moment. Here are some simple and cost-effective methods that you can adopt right now. Remember all those small savings soon add up!

Turn your thermostat down

This is a simple one. For each degree you cut the thermostat, expect to cut bills by about 4%.

The World Health Organisation says that 18 degrees is enough for healthy adults and, as a landlord, you are required to provide temperatures of at least 18 degrees in sleeping rooms and 21 degrees (centigrade) in living rooms, (when the outside temperature falls below zero). However, we all know properties which feel like “hot houses.” Having those conversations with your tenants, could be very worthwhile.

Turning off the heating versus leaving it on? A common debate is whether it is cheaper to leave the heating on low all day, rather than just turning it on when you need it. The Energy Saving Trust is adamant that you should only have your heating on when required, otherwise you are paying for heating that you are not using. Even if you turn your thermostat down, your boiler will keep firing up and using energy.

Become a draught detective

Finding those draughty spots in the house can make a big difference. Draught-proofing can cut 2% off energy bills. An un-noticed draughty spot can often be the loft hatch, if this is an issue in your property, then you can buy some effective and inexpensive rolls of draught excluders that are really simple to fit to the sides of loft hatches.

Curtains

All curtains and blinds go some way to preventing heat escaping but it’s worth going one step further and investing in full length, thermal curtains, which will really help to keep the heat inside. They can look stylish and, are like a duvet for your windows!

Shorter showers

Cutting just a minute off your shower time could save £75 a year in energy bills, and a further £105 a year in water bills if you have a meter – £180 a year for an average four-person household. Some even go as far as to turn the water off to lather and back on to rinse, there is also the famed Wim Hof cold shower method – but this is a bit of a stretch for us personally!

A fuller washing machine and banish the tumble dryer

Try to do one fewer load of washing a week and make sure you fill up the machine each time. No more washing just one or two items of clothing. The savings aren’t huge, around £10 a year for modern machines, but can be much more with old ones. You could also try doing your washing on a colder setting.

Also, tumble dryers use a lot of energy.

The Energy Saving Trust calculate that you could save £40 a year if you never use it. If you are going to use it, use a lower (or eco if available) setting, partially dry clothes where possible and remove all lint from the filter and empty self-condensing dryers regularly. Try drying your clothes on an airer, but make sure to leave a window open, as this could contribute to condensation, which in turn could lead to mould.

Less water in kettles

The more water you boil, the more energy you use. Be conscious about this when filling the kettle, so you don’t overfill. Not overfilling your kettle could make a saving of £8 a year (it all adds up). You could even try buying a smaller kettle.

Turn the television off standby at night

Switching off your devices is better than leaving them on standby, of course, as otherwise you’re using energy for something you’re not making use of. The Energy Saving Trust says you can save £40 a year by switching your devices off standby mode.

Radiator thermostats

Don’t heat the whole house when you’re spending all day in one room. Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) are an extra control which can be used to set the temperature of each individual room.

Installing them and using them with your thermostat allows you to control the temperature room by room, and could save you almost 6%, so about £85 a year, on average, for a typical home.

A fair usage policy

If you are renting properties where you, as the landlord, pay the bills – like in some HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) for instance, have you considered a fair usage policy? Some of our landlords use them and have never had to act on them, as they are adjusted fairly, discussed with the tenants early on (using at the viewing) and form part of the contract. If bills are an issue between you and your tenants, these may well be worth considering.

Don’t forget those boilers:

• Insulate hot water cylinders

• Reduce the temperature on your boiler (should be set to 60 degrees to prevent legionella) • Turn off the “pre heat” function on your combi boiler

• Bleed radiators at least once (if not twice) a year

• Power flush your systems every 5 years and use a good quality Magna clean • Regularly service your boiler (if this is a rental property this should be done by the landlord every 12 months).