Save extra on your energy bill with these 7 practical tips
Save extra on your energy bill with these 7 practical tips
After 3,5 hours of googling and 12 articles you know them all: tips to save on your gas and energy consumption. Put on a warm sweater, buy a fleece blanket, take shorter showers. And what about all the advice that requires a significant investment? Have your house insulated, install solar panels, replace all your old equipment.
But with an energy bill that is almost higher than your mortgage, every saving is a bonus. That is why we would like to share our 7 extra tips to use less gas or energy.
1. Soft towels? Put them in the dryer for 10 minutes
The dryer is an energy guzzler. But it makes your towels so wonderfully soft, nothing can beat that, right? Our tip: put them in the dryer for 10-15 minutes and then hang them on the clothes rack. That's enough to get them nice and soft. A full drying program is therefore not necessary, which saves energy.
2. Draft strips, insulating foil and curtains
A lot of cold comes in through the windows. It drafts through the cracks and crevices, or the cold soaks in through the glass. Don't have the budget to replace all your windows with HR++ insulating glass? You can prevent a lot of heat loss with draft strips, insulating window film and curtains. The draft strips seal all cracks, the window film provides an insulating layer of air on your windows and the curtains keep out the cold.
3. Stock your refrigerator and freezer (but not with warm leftovers)
A full refrigerator or freezer uses less energy. All empty space fills with warm air as soon as you open the device. The fuller it is, the less room for that air. Allow warm food leftovers to cool before freezing or putting them in the refrigerator. Do you want to defrost something? Then it is smart to do this in the refrigerator, because the frozen product provides extra cooling.
4. Light the barbecue more often
We mainly barbecue on nice summer evenings, but it is an excellent way to prepare regular meals. Stews, casseroles, jacket potatoes and roasted vegetables – it all works perfectly on the coals. Good quality charcoal or briquettes are economical to use and cost you nothing in gas or electricity. And it's even tastier too!
5. Program your thermostat (or buy a smart one)
You know that you should turn the heating down in the evening, but you often forget to do so. Therefore, set a timer on your thermostat. Set it to turn down an hour before bedtime, because the heat will linger for a while. Do you like to sleep in on the weekend? Then he can also start a little later on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Saves again.
6. Microwave or air fryer instead of the oven
An oven requires a lot of energy. An air fryer or microwave uses much less, and that can save up to 80%. So you save a lot of electricity by preparing or heating your food in it. An air fryer is ideal for fries and snacks, baked rolls, unbreaded meat and roasted vegetables. The microwave is perfect for reheating your food. Yes, even pizza. Place a glass of water next to your pizza slice in the microwave and it will become deliciously crispy.
7. Buy wool underwear
Yes, you get the jokes about goat's wool socks for free. But still: woolen clothing is ideal in cold weather. It retains your body heat better than other substances. Do you get cold easily in winter? Then look for woolen socks, slippers and shirts. If you don't want itching, look specifically for clothing made of wool silk or merino wool. These feel wonderfully soft.
Want to save on your energy bill? Every little bit helps
With sky-high rates for gas and electricity, every saving is nice. These 7 tips do not require a huge investment and will hopefully help you to change your account slightly
