Take control of your home and your energy bill
We all want to save energy. But we also want the convenience of modern life, where our devices are always charged and the house is nice and warm when we get in at night.
So how do you take control of your home and make it as efficient as possible? We’ve put together a list of simple things to help you control your energy bill. Some use the latest technology, some are simple adjustments to your lifestyle that (we hope) will soon become habits.
1. Don’t leave your charger plugged in
It’s estimated that leaving electrical items plugged in or on standby costs the average British household between £50 and £80 a year in wasted electricity 1. That’s £1.3 billion across the whole of the UK. So make sure you turn off your tech.
Always forgetting to turn things off? With Hive Active plugs you can control your appliances using your smartphone. Think you might have left the iron on? Tap the app and make sure. Kids always leaving the TV on standby? Turn it off from your phone, whether you’ve just popped to the shops or you’re halfway round the world on holiday.
2. Don’t buy cheap light bulbs
You may think you’re saving money but energy saving lightbulbs don’t just use less electricity than old fashioned cheaper bulbs. They last much longer too and could save you money in the long run.
With Hive Light bulbs you can use your smartphone to dim the lights without leaving the sofa.
3. Don’t overfill the kettle
If you’re only making one cup of tea, don’t put in enough water for eight. And if you live in a hard water area, de-scale the kettle regularly. It’ll work more efficiently and your tea will taste better too.
4. Always do a full load of washing
Running your washing machine half empty uses the same amount of water and the same amount of electricity. So make sure you always do a full load. And if things aren’t really dirty, try cutting the temperature down from 40 to 30 degrees.
5. Microwaves use 90% less energy than conventional ovens 2
Obviously you can’t cook everything in the microwave. But using the oven to warm up yesterday’s lasagna wastes energy and your precious time.
6. Up to 5% of your electricity bill is your fridge freezer 2
Defrost it regularly, and don’t store things on top of it. To work efficiently your fridge freezer needs air circulating around it. So pull it out from the wall a bit, and dust the condenser coils on the back. Use a cloth not the vacuum cleaner, to save energy.
7. Use your dishwasher
Using the dishwasher is often actually more efficient than washing up by hand, particularly if you leave the hot tap running to rinse the plates.
8. Get a free smart meter
A British Gas Smart Meter comes with a smart energy monitor which shows you how much energy you’re using – and how much it’s costing you. So you can monitor which energy-saving measures work best for you.
If you don’t have a smart meter yet book an appointment and we’ll install one for free.
9. Control your heating from your phone
Adjust the Hive Thermostat without leaving the sofa. Turn off the heating when you’re out and about. Hive Active Heating puts you in complete control. Away on holiday and suddenly hear there’s a big freeze hitting the UK? No problem, use your smartphone to put the heating on and take the chill off.
Hive Active Heating helps you control your heating bill too. Create zones around the house and only heat the rooms you’re in. Hive will even send you a reminder to tell you that you’re left the heating on – and you can turn it off with a tap of the app. You could save up to £120 a year by never having to heat an empty home.
Like being in control?
Our video will give you a few ideas to help you cut your energy bill down to size. We’ve also created a Home Energy guide full of handy hints and tips that could save you hundreds of pounds without making a big difference to your lifestyle.