Best energy saving tips in winter

The winter of 2022 will be rough due to the global energy problems. I always said, even if you are not interested in politics, politics is always interested in you. With global problems like that, energy saving tips in winter would be handy to know, so we will not end up paying a lot more. Unfortunately, this is something we can’t avoid, as it is not going to affect our homes. It will and we have to be prepared. So, let’s get through some simple, but incredibly important tips to save energy and money.

Best energy saving tips in winter

Upgrade your heating control

Nearly half of our household’s utility bills in winter go on providing heating and hot water. Heating control is a combination of thermostat, plumbing & electronic components, and timers. You can control the usage of your heating and water on your own, which means you are in charge of the home temperature and time when the home will be heated, as well as the hot water usage. Consider choosing a smart home solution, which I covered in this post, so that you can control everything via an app.

Think of the insulation

After the home is heated, we want it to keep the heat for as long as possible. For that, you should think of the insulation. If your home has good insulation within the walls, consider draught-proofing around doors, windows, and gaps in the floor.

Change your lighting

Lighting could also save you a lot of money by simply moving towards LEDs. And, obviously, turn off the light if you are not using it. If you have light switches with moving sensors, consider getting rid of them. Sometimes we simply don’t need to turn on the light as we see clearly enough.

Take showers instead of baths

Water is closely linked to energy, as the water needs to be pumped to your house, and then be heated. If we take baths, that’s an enormous amount of hot water used, which is not practical and can cost you a fortune. Take short showers instead.

Only run washing machine and dishwasher, when fully loaded

That is explanatory. Do not waste energy on a half-loaded washing machine or a dishwasher. Besides, select the mode that is eco-friendly, which normally cuts the washing cycle by half (one hour instead of two hours, for example). Finally, consider doing the washing in cold or colder water temperatures. Instead of 60 or 90 degrees Celsius, select 40 or 30 degrees. I don’t have a dishwasher, so I am doing dishes manually, which also saves me some money.

Here is a fun fact for you. Did you know that nearly 90% of the energy that a washing machine expends goes into heating the water? Have a listen to this podcast episode of FastCompany to find out that simple cold washes could save energy while also reducing ocean pollution.

Stay warm with clothes and blankets

If the recommended home temperature of 19 degrees Celsius is too chilly for you, get more comfortable wearing more clothes or use blankets/plaids. One thing to make yourself warm and keep warm is to cover your head, as it is the part of your body that loses the heat. Wear a hoodie and you will soon realize how warm you are.

Keep doors closed

If you spend a lot of time at home, for example working from home, and use mostly one room, consider closing the door of that room. Therefore, you can keep the heat inside that room throughout that room only, which saves energy like a charm.

Invest in solar panels

You can consider using power banks on solar panels, which can be used later on to charge your gadgets.

Use a microwave and a toaster

It is more cost efficient to heat up your food in a microwave or a toaster than pre-heating the stove or oven. Fortunately, microwaves and toasters are extremely cheap these days.

Unplug

Many electronics keep using electricity even if they are powered off. Consider unplugging them completely when you are not using them.

I hope those simple, but efficient tips can save your energy and some money during the upcoming winter. We can do it! Right?

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Featured photo by Isabelle Taylor