Tips for the home

We’ve joined forces with plumbers to bring you some great tips on how to cut your energy bills by 30 euros a month.

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By offering a simple, handmade gift to everyone, you can save energy this winter.

As the weather gets colder and energy prices rise, any tips to help cut heating and electricity bills and keep costs down are welcome. When we think about saving money on heating or electricity, the first things that come to mind are things like cutting down on shower time, covering pots while cooking, lowering the heating by one degree in the winter, curling up in a plaid blanket before watching TV, and so on. This doesn’t always apply to water heaters, which are a common feature in many flats and houses. It might surprise you to know that the water heater is the second largest source of energy after heating in the house! So, it makes sense to look after it.

How can you reduce this cost on your energy bill? Simply insulate your water heater. Many plumbers and heating engineers list the obvious benefits. Firstly, it will allow you to keep the water in the tank hot for longer and therefore ultimately use less. How easy is it to insulate a good old-fashioned hot water tank so that it is easily accessible in the event of a fault? You don’t need to be an experienced DIY enthusiast to do it – it’s available to everyone! Simply make a cover for your appliance to keep it warm.

To get this operation up and running, you’ll need:

  • 2 rescue blankets;
  • Bubble wrap;
  • Double-sided tape;
  • Wire.
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To get started, just hang a rescue blanket with the silver side facing the hot water tank using duct tape. Next, cover the survival blanket with bubble wrap (it’s best to use two layers for a more effective seal), then add a second survival blanket, making sure the silver side is facing the balloon. Make sure everything is tied tightly with wire. How does this system keep you warm? The silver side of the survival blanket will reflect heat, which will help keep the heat inside the hot water tank.

It’s also pretty simple and not much more expensive to install hot water tank insulation film and cummerbunds around your tank. You can easily find these at a home improvement shop. It costs about 50 euros, but you’ll recoup the cost quickly. You can save up to 5 kWh per day, or just over one euro per day based on the regulated electricity price in October 2023 (1 kWh EDF price: 0.2276 euros/kWh). That’s about 30 euros per month in the middle of winter, or between 100 and 150 euros. This is a quick and easy way to save money.