For many 2019 is a new chance to make new sensible decisions that will result in constructive gains whether that’s a new diet, being more active, reducing screen time or being more financially savvy. If your resolution involves the later, then you’ll be glad to know that your energy consumption and utilities are a great place to start off. At Power Point we have built a reputation for providing the best kitchen appliances in Liverpool and have an unrivalled knowledge when it comes to understanding how your appliances work and how to use them more efficiently.

The average household cost for utilities is around £194 a month and with prices set to rise, it is now more important than ever to lower the cost by being smarter with our consumption of energy. There are many tactics to employ which will save you money if you employ them with consistency and discipline.

Run Your Appliances At night

Electricity prices dip and fluctuate at different points in the day so naturally it makes sense to take advantage of the lower rates when you need to do tasks that use up the most energy. Jobs, like putting on the dishwasher or doing a load of washing take up a significant amount of energy so if you can, try to do these tasks later in the evening. Depending on your energy tariff your off-peak rates will vary but a clear structured washing regime will help you take advantage of off-peak rates. A great tip is to start using the timer features on your appliances (if you have them) so that you don’t need to think about manually starting them late at night.

Use Tumble Dryer Balls

Tumble dryers have historically been known bare high running costs but with modern advances in manufacturing they have started to become very efficient. Whether or not you have an energy efficient model, tumble dryer balls are a must-have. When you start a tumble dryer cycle hot air is plumped into the spinning drum which tosses the wet clothes and dries them. Sometimes a bundle of wet clothes will spin into a  clump which means the dryer has to use more energy to fully dry the load. By spreading a number of tumble dryer balls throughout the load before you start a cycle, your clothes will be separated and the force with which they tumble will separate the fabric so that it dries quicker. Your tumble dryer will therefore need to use less energy and you will save money.

Use Timer On Central Heating System

According to the money advice service, the average cost of gas bill cost of running a 3-4 bedroom house lies between £600-800 a year with this figure expected to increase. During the summertime, our usage habits tend to decrease as central heating is used less. This means that the majority of our expenditure tends to fall within the winter months. While central heating is a necessity during this time, you can still reduce your daily usage to save energy. Having a central heating timer is perfect because you can pre-program the heating to come on when you need it the most, ie. one hour in the morning when you get up and an hour or two in the evening. By employing short timed bursts of heat, you can benefit from maximum residual warmth in your home without needing to keep the heating on constantly. The downfall of operating your heating manually without a timer is that you can forget it is on and when a quick trip to the shops turns into impromptu lunch with friends, you have suddenly heated a whole house for no reason for several hours! Wasteful usage of heating contributes greatly to higher energy costs.

Don’t Under Load Washing Machines/Dishwashers

Some washing machines are built with intelligent features which can detect the wetness of a load and calculate the exact spin time needed to dry it. This feature is great for using only the necessary amount of energy needed but if your machine does not have this option built, in it will be operating on pre-determined load and spin duration. It is important not to wash partial loads in your washing machine as you waste a significant amount of water and electricity only to repeat the process when you wash another half load of clothes a few days later. A good strategy is to consolidate your laundry into a full drum load. The same concept applies for dishwasher use in that even half load cycles have been proven to be more cumulatively expensive when used often.   

Don't Overload Washing Machines/Dishwashers

Overloading dishwashers and washing machines is also a common mistake that costs households a significant amount of money every year across the UK. You should be mindful of your washing machine’s drum capacity and leave a small amount of room for detergent to move around and disseminate throughout the load. If you overload a washing machine, your clothes will not be totally clean and you will have to use more energy to run a repeat wash to finish the job. Overloading dishwashers can be even worse as a machine struggling to clean an over-packed load will leave your dishes and cutlery encrusted with dried on food residue. Dried on food residue is notoriously difficult to remove from dishes and you will most likely need to program an ultra-high-temperature wash to remove reside. Understandably, this is very expensive and will certainly add to your energy bills.  

Use Energy Saving Bulbs

Kitchen appliances are huge energy users but you can also stand to make savings on smaller fronts such as the type of light bulbs you use. Energy saving bulbs are a great way to cut back on the amount of electricity needed to light your house. Most standard bulbs are incandescent which means they give off a lot of heat. The brightness of the light in standard bulbs is because the filament is glowing white hot which is an enormous expenditure of energy.  Energy saving bulbs use fluorescence, a process where light is created by driving a moderate electrical current through special chemicals to create a cool light that gives off no heat. This is extremely energy efficient and some say that a light bulb overhaul can save households an average of over £100 a year.

The Best Kitchen Appliances In Liverpool From Power Point

At Power Point we understand the need to run an efficient functioning household whilst also staying on the right side of the line when it comes to costs and energy. Hopefully, 2019 will see you employ some of our domestic tips which will lead to significant savings. The key to cutting down on energy bills is to take a holistic approach from all angles, ie multiple small changes which over time will amount to significant combined savings.

As the source of great value kitchen appliances in Liverpool, we make an extra effort to make sure that our stock is full of the latest A+++ rated appliances so that your quest to be more energy efficient is made just that little bit easier.

For more information visit our website or call us today on 01519 093 970