European energy price soaring hits the new records. This winter in Europe will be colder than ever. The electricity in German and French reached more than tenfold increase from last year. And the electricity and gas price cap in United Kingdom will be $4,197 per year from October 1, which is almost twofold.
Ofgem, the energy regulator blamed the electricity price soaring on the rise in global wholesale natural gas prices. For many families, they have to think how to save electricity to lower your electric bills in this cold winter. This article will tell you 10 ways to stay warm without more electric bills. Let’s read them one by one.
1. Seal vents and doors
Closing vents and doors in a room can keep the temperature inside and reduce your electricity bills in the winter, as open windows and doors can leak heat. To keep the heat inside the house, you can also add a draft plug between the bottom of the door and the door frame. In addition, cold air from outside can enter your home through the attic and basement.
2. Turn down the thermostat
Fine-tuning your smart thermostat can also help save on electricity bills. You can turn the thermostat down when you’re out and up again before you get home. This ensures that power is conserved when not in use, while maintaining a comfortable temperature when in use.
3. Close the damper when the fireplace is not in use
Keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not in use. If the damper is not closed, heat may escape from the chimney. Installing glass screens prevents warm air from being drawn in and out of the chimney.
4. Adjust the temperature of the water heater
The water heater is the largest energy consuming appliance after heating and air conditioning. Most people set their water heater’s thermostat too high and the water heater stays on all the time. So just lowering the temperature by a few degrees can save you a lot of electricity bills.
5. Don’t block your vents
If your heating vents are blocked, the furnace will use more electricity when it is working. So clearing the vents ensures that every room in your home gets good circulation.
6. Unplug unused electronics
You may not realize that some appliances consume power even when they are “off”. Especially those that are operated with a remote control. So unplugging those unused electronic devices can also help us save electricity in the winter.
7. Wash/dry only full loads
Always run the washer or dryer at full capacity whenever possible. In fact, washing or drying a small amount of laundry consumes the same amount of energy as running a full load of laundry. So run your washer and dryer only at full load in the event of a lack of power.
8. Insulate your pipes
Some of the heat is dissipated as the hot water travels through the pipes. Therefore, adding insulation to hot water pipes can increase the water temperature by 2°F–4°F.
9. Wear a sweater and socks to keep warm
Wear a thick sweater and socks if you’re still cold after turning the thermostat down.
10. Use some thermal equipment
When we turned down the thermostat temperature to save power. At the same time, we can also use some thermal equipment, such as hot water bottle, electric hot water bottle, and electric blanket. It is believed that most families need to prepare these devices to survive this cold winter.
