9 Top Tips For Saving Money On Your Utility Bills This Summer

May 23, 2024 by Admin

Make no bones about it – we are in the midst of an energy crisis. Prices are among the most volatile they’ve ever been, the geopolitical climate is unstable, and the inexorable shift towards a cleaner, greener future is causing energy firms to scramble to find solutions in a much quicker timeframe than we’d previously seen. That’s naturally all filtered down to customers.

Of course, while we’d naturally be looking to save money on our energy bills during the winter months, there’s just as much of an urgency to continue that trend as we barrel towards summer, and the warmer climes that June through to September tend to bring.

Here at Tariff, we understand that, and we’re the exact same – we don’t rest on our laurels when the thermometer starts to rise. We’re constantly seeking to inform and advise our audience, and with our latest piece, we’ll be looking at how you can save money on your energy bills over summertime, as well as exactly what kind of savings you could expect.

 

9 Key Hacks To Help You Save Money On Utilities This Summer

We’ve picked out just 9 of the most crucial pieces of advice for saving money on your energy bills in the summer. Discover more below, as well as just how much you could save by opting to implement our tips.

 

1. Fans Are Much Cheaper To Run Than Air Conditioning

When temperatures rise, we’re naturally inclined to reach for the fan. That’s for good reason – an effective fan (especially those with chrome or metal blades) helps you cool down by aiding in the evaporation of sweat, and further circulates the air in your room.

While it’s a commonly believed energy myth that fans produce cold air, it’s more accurate to say that they help us to cool down rather than the room. That’s just one of the reasons that they’re a much more preferable alternative to air conditioning, but the key reason is cost.

The latest figures place the average running cost of a fan (for 24 hours) at just 30 pence, meaning you’ll only add around £10 to your monthly bill, even if you run your fan constantly (which most won’t).

Compare that with the cost of running an air conditioner for the same length of time. A 24 hour period costs an estimated £6, meaning you’ll add around £180 to your monthly bill if you choose to run it consistently. This is usually an option only reserved for businesses, though.

While this may seem common sense, but coupling a fan with more of the tips we’ll get into shortly allows for a much more eco-friendly, cleaner and (crucially) cheaper way to keep your home cool this summer.

 

2. Ensure Your Home Is Well-Ventilated

It might seem like something you’ll automatically do – and most people will during the warmer months – but it’s absolutely crucial that you ensure that your home is as ventilated as possible when you’re in the depths of summer.

Not only does this help to allow in any balmy breezes that punctuate a British summer, it’ll also help to allow for fresher air to enter and for staler, warmer air to be circulated out of your home. This is especially effective when coupled with our above advice on using a fan, which essentially “speeds up” the ability for air to circulate.

Of course, ventilation isn’t for everyone, and for those with hay fever or other allergies, an open window can lead to bouts of sneezing, coughing and watery eyes. With this in mind, we’d recommend “venting” your windows where possible (most modern windows will have small ventilation ducts at the top to allow for the passage of air with minimal allergens).

It’s also crucial to vent your internal doors, too – keeping rooms open and easily accessible for fresh air means you’ll have a much more consistent and cooler climate throughout your home.

 

3. Keep Your Lights Off Until Later

Summer, along with more temperate weather, also brings with it longer nights, duskier evenings and brighter mornings. That influx of natural light means we’re able to leave the curtains open for that little bit longer, and to bring in that sumptuous sunshine.

With that in mind, it’s important we take advantage from a money saving point of view, too, and leave those lights off until much later in the evening. That includes any lights that you might have on timers, or that might be scheduled to come on (such as nightlights for children).

Sadly, this adjustment to your lighting schedule won’t be as impactful a change as one might’ve hoped – even the most powerful, 100W incandescent bulb only costs 2 pence per hour to run – but any and all changes can mount up.

These minor adjustments, particularly during the summer, can make a small dent in your final price, and ultimately help you embed those energy-saving habits into your schedule.

 

4. Defrost Your Freezer Ahead Of Summer

Logically, you’re going to use your freezer more during the summer months. From ice creams and lollies for those long afternoons in the sunshine, to meats and veggies for the barbeque, your cold storage is likely to be a popular destination as the temperature rises.

In preparation for that, we’d strongly advise defrosting your freezer ahead of using to store all those summer essentials. Not only will this make more room for all of those summertime snacks and treats, it’s also an ideal way to save energy with minimal effort.

By defrosting your freezer on a semi-regular basis (experts recommend at least one a year, or more if you’ve got an older model that produces more ice), you’re reducing the strain and energy the machine needs to exert to keep your food at the right temperature.

That load reduction ensures your freezer keeps things cold, and that you see a notable change in the amount of energy that your appliance uses. Conservative estimates place the impact of defrosting your freezer at around 5% of its total energy usage (which varies between different makes and models).

 

5. Dry Your Washing In The Natural Heat

While we’re always tempted to get out in the summer sun and soak up the rays as much as possible, it’s always a good idea to allow your washing to do the same. The benefits of outdoor drying are plentiful (not least the irreplicable scent) but it also extends to energy-saving benefits, too.

Hanging the washing out to dry can be a pain, but with a dryer estimated to cost around £1.50 per drying cycle, it’s a necessary evil to aim to save a substantial amount of cash. Spread out across the year (at 2 tumble-dry cycles per week), you’re spending around £156 which could be split down by putting the washing outside whenever you can.

The same principle applies to those living in apartments, or that don’t have the garden space to accommodate a washing line. A clothes maiden (or even curtain rails in front of a large window if you’re in a pinch) offers similar benefits when you place it in a room that sees plenty of sun throughout the day.

 

6. Close Curtains & Blinds

It might seem counterintuitive to block out the abundance of natural light that summertime brings with it,  and we wouldn’t argue with that. Homes that are well lit and receive plenty of natural light look and feel brighter, and ultimately help to improve mental and physical health.

However, when you’re planning to be out for a lengthy period of time (such as during the working day), or if you’re simply not going to be using that room for a while, it’s better to leave the curtains and blinds closed.

This allows for the room to stay shady and ultimately cooler than those rooms where sunlight streams in through the windows. Air can still circulate (particularly if you follow our earlier advice of keeping internal doors open when possible), but you mitigate the amount that sunshine through the window heats up your space.

If you’ve got blackout curtains or blinds, these do work more effectively (and are a good option year-round), but they aren’t necessary to enjoy the full benefits that closing your curtains can bring.

 

7. Cooler Showers Can Save Energy

It stands to reason that, when it’s warm outside, we’d be looking to cool down wherever we can. For many, that usually involves a cold shower, but did you know that a cold shower is a huge cost-saving measure?

Cool showers require less energy to heat up and, with the temperature of the water often being a sharp adjustment from the outside temperature, we’ll tend to generally use less water, too. Shorter showers are always a great way to save both energy and water.

However, cold showers also have a major impact on your carbon footprint, and your wallet too. By lowering the temperature which your central heating system needs to bring your water up to, you’re removing much of the pressure on your boiler, and allowing for a much smoother experience for any energy you do use.

 

8. Use Stored Water For Your Garden

The British weather is notorious for its changeability. With thunderstorms and rain clouds one minute, to blistering sunshine the next, it’s crucial we take advantage of that wherever possible, and perhaps one of the best ways to do that is through harnessing the regular rainfall.

With a water butt (a small but worthwhile investment) in an area of your garden that sees a lot of rainfall, or somewhere that’s uncovered to allow for better access, you’ll be able to water your plants and keep your grasses green without the stresses of spending any money on unnecessary water.

It’s also an eco-friendly approach to ensuring your garden stays healthy. Rainwater contains vital nutrients that can improve the quality of life for your plant life, and ensures they’re able to absorb as much as possible from the skies.

 

9. Keep Hosepipe & Power Washer Usage To A Minimum

Closely linked to our previous point, and among the most common pieces of advice for the summer season, we’d strongly recommend ensuring that you minimise your use of any hosepipes, power washers or high-powered devices that use water.

It’s an all-too-familiar headline every summer – hosepipe bans and water shortages – but that’s for good reason. Not only does overusing your water with hoses, sprinklers and other garden tech mean you’re spending a fortune when the next bill rolls around, it’s also impacting others.

That’s especially true in the summer, where soaring temperatures see our rivers, rainfall and reservoirs dip below an ideal level, and run the risk of drying up. Avoiding using your hosepipe too much not only benefits you – it’s also much better for your local community, and for the wider environment.

 

Beat The Heat With Tariff’s Expert Energy Switching

As the summer months see our temperatures climb, and the UK starts to heat up, the last thing you want to do is be left out in the cold. And here at Tariff, we’re committed to delivering cutting-edge, customised solutions for businesses across the spectrum.

With our sophisticated approach to delivering business energy deals, and to better understanding the current energy market to secure you a deal that works for you, we’re the clear choice for ensuring you’ve got everything you need to greet new the summer and the myriad new changes that are set to arrive with summers to come.

All of that is delivered with the trademark levels of excellence you’ll have seen from this article, and that you’ll receive from our in-house energy experts. We strive without compromise to deliver a deal on energy that works for you, your sector, and your circumstances.

Get in touch with our knowledgeable advisors today to discuss your options in much greater detail, and to discover just how Tariff can help your business stay cool this summer.