Small moves to cut costs

ENERGY bills can go through the roof, with houses full of devices devouring electricity, even when appearing to be turned off.
Many appliances constantly use energy when not actually switched on or are on standby.
The Energy Saving Trust has outlined how to detect which appliances use the most electricity, and how to save money on bills when leaving your home for any length of time.
Apparently, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is leaving devices on standby, which can add an average of €35 a year onto bills.
It is advisable to remove plugs, which also avoids the risk of electrical fires.
Normally forgotten about, Broadband and wifi modems and routers, television sets and telephones all use small amounts of energy when not being used.
According to the Trust, they can actually consume €10 euros worth of energy a year.
Fridges are one of the biggest consumers of energy, giving off light and constantly remaining cold.
Full fridges use more energy.
So before going away, get rid of unnecessary goods and set the temperature to 3.3 degree Celsius to save costs.
If possible, empty the fridge completely and turn it off. This will save the most money on energy when the home is empty.
The Trust added that many people leave lights on in their home to deter burglars.
And while this is a great method to keep the home safe, it isn’t friendly to the bank balance when it comes to energy bills.
Where possible, use a timer to turn the lights on and off. This will save money and give more of an impression that the house is occupied.
Another tip is to turn off or reduce the power on your boiler, another energy guzzler and not necessary when the house is empty.