How to Ensure You Keep Energy Costs Down This Christmas

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With energy costs on the rise this year and set to continue in the new year, it can be difficult for families over Christmas, where costs are heightened. However, from presents to food and family functions, it can be worth taking a look at any areas where you can cut costs, one major factor being energy bills.

Energy bills that incorporate gas and electricity are usually through the roof in winter but are even steeper throughout the Christmas period. There are many reasons for this, from staying home, to Christmas lights on the tree, or even cooking more and using the heating on long winter nights. In this guide, you will find a few top tips and tricks that will help you keep the bills down- with the added addition of being great for the environment.

1. Look and fill any drafty spots around your house.

This may sound like common sense, but often there are spots around your house letting out warm air, and bringing in the cold to replace it, that you don’t even think to consider.

These drafts can then make your bills higher as you wonder why your heating isn’t working as well as usual. You can combat these drafts in a couple of ways. An easy way to identify where a draft could be coming from is to shut your doors and see where the light still comes through from the outside.

If there is light- chances are there is a draft too. The next step is to buy some draft excluders, which you can buy cheap off Amazon. For other places, which are perhaps a bit more industrial, you could try wisewelders.com, and find out how to fill any larger holes that are letting in a draft.

Finally, it can’t hurt to keep the curtains closed to help the room heat up, and even consider fitting reflector panels behind the radiators. Radiator panels reflect back 95% of the heat coming out of your radiator and therefore are a really economical way to save on heating costs.

2. Keep a Close Eye on Your Kitchen.

It is estimated that the UK spends 27.7 Million a year cooking their Christmas turkeys. There are plenty of ways to reduce this cost, too. First and foremost, when cooking whatever meat you prefer on the day, don’t preheat the oven. Instead, put the meat in whilst the oven is heating up.

This way, your meat will cook longer and slower and ensures you don’t spend lots of money before your food is even in the oven. Try to not open the oven quite as much too when you are making all of your food when hosting.

Opening the oven lets the heat escape, therefore meaning your oven has to work harder to get it back up to the temperature you have set. If you can, try to roast all of your veggies in the same tin to save washing up too.

3. Turn off Your Christmas Tree and Other Appliances. 

We all love the glow of a Christmas tree at night. But often, many of us forget to turn off the Christmas tree before going to bed, leaving the view to be enjoyed by no one and money draining out of our bank account.

To keep costs down, turn all the lights off of your tree at night, and have a scan around for any more appliances that need switching off. You could even consider buying some energy-efficient Christmas lights too.

Christmas is often spent watching a lot of TV, specifically due to the plethora of Christmas films available. Although it can be tempting to roll out of the living room and straight to bed in a food coma, take the time at night to check the TV is switched off at the plug, all kitchen gadgets are turned off at the wall, and your Christmas tree lights are off.

All in all, putting energy costs aside, these simple things can also help the environment. By reducing the amount of money you spend on energy costs and turning down your thermostat, you can help tackle many climate issues that we face in this modern world.

A little can amount to a lot when it comes to Christmas, and everything you do above will add up to a lot of savings in your household.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.