FEATURE: HARDWARE & PLUMBING


TEN EASY HACKS TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF POUNDS A YEAR!


In these challenging financial times when households are looking to economise as much as possible, there are a number of eco-products and water-saving measures that could help families save hundreds of pounds a year.


of pounds a year, according to new information from bathroom experts from City Plumbing. Struggling families across Britain can slash their water and energy bills by hundreds of pounds this winter with 10 simple energy price hacks, which can help the average Brit to reduce their energy usage – and save lots of money at the same time.


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Hack 1: Check for toilet leaks This is a rare issue but could be a devastating one for your bank balance if left unaddressed. A severely leaky toilet can waste a staggering 146,000 litres of water a year. This is an extreme example, but such a leak could potentially add a jaw dropping £1,360 to your annual water bill.


Even if your toilet leak was not this severe, it could still make a big difference to your water bills. To check your toilet for leaks, simply add a few drops of food colouring into the toilet tank and wait an hour. If the coloured water reaches the toilet bowl, this indicates that there is a leak.


Potential Annual Savings: £1,360


Hack 2: Bleed your radiators Inefficient radiators can be particularly problematic, as it can mean that the heating system needs to work harder to get your home to the desired temperature. In severe cases, the radiator might be working too inefficiently to reach the right temperature.


This could leave you with a cold house – and leave you paying more than you should on your energy bills.


If your radiator feels cold at the top but hot at the bottom, there may be trapped air in there – the way to remedy this is to bleed the radiator. The best way to bleed a radiator is to turn off the central heating system fully and wait for it to cool. From there, open the bleed valve to enable the trapped air to escape, and


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you should be able to hear a hissing sound. Be aware that a little bit of water might escape, so it’s always a good idea to pop a cloth underneath. In terms of energy usage, it costs


roughly £5 to heat an average sized room to 18 degrees for a day. Assuming that bleeding your radiators makes them just 10% more efficient, this could lead to hundreds of pounds in savings in the long term.


For an average two-bedroom house, using inefficient radiators over the six autumn and winter months could add roughly £450 to your bills.


Potential Annual Savings: £450


Hack 3: Turn your thermostat down


This simple hack can save you as much as £200 a year if you turn your thermostat down from 20 degrees to 18 degrees.


While it can be tempting to crank the heating all the way up to 20 degrees and feel toasty as can be, the WHO says that 18 degrees is the recommended temperature for healthy adults and is a good temperature for those of us with children, too.


This can be one of the easiest ways to save money on energy bills this year.


Potential Annual Savings: £200


Hack 4: Upgrade your toilet Many of us do not give much thought to the water consumption of our toilet, even though this is where about 30% of all water in a


home goes. Whereas older toilets use around


13 litres of water per flush, low flow toilets are specifically designed to use as little as three litres. Split flush buttons can also reduce toilet water consumption by letting you decide how much water is needed – typically using around 4-6 litres. While the savings per individual flush can seem small, this quickly adds up: presuming an average of five flushes per day, an upgraded toilet using three litres per flush instead of 13 litres can save approximately £170 every year. Potential Annual Savings: £170


Hack 5: Take shorter showers Previous research by The Bathroom Showroom suggests that the average person in England is paying 16p extra a day for showers in 2022 – that’s an extra £55 per year for every person that lives in your household. However, this assumes that each person showers for the average length of eight minutes. We all like to relax for an extra few mutes in a warm shower on a cold day, but being more efficient could make a massive difference to your household income. Cutting your showering time in half to four minutes can save you more than £100 over the course of a year – that’s almost £500 in savings for a typical family of four!


Potential Annual Savings: £110


Hack 6: Use an eco-shower head


Eco-shower heads use less water


ater wastage and inefficient energy usage could see millions of households wasting hundreds


than a standard shower. Less wastage is good for the environment – and for your finances. According to the Energy Savings


Trust, replacing your shower head with a water efficient one could save a four-person household nearly £40 a year on gas for water heating and almost £55 a year on water bills if they have a water meter.


This adds up to a total annual saving of around £95.


Potential Annual Savings: £95


Hack 7: Switch all light bulbs to LED


Investing in new light bulbs can make a significant difference. As the Energy Savings Trust notes, lighting makes up just over 10% of the average UK household electricity consumption.


Based on the average UK home,


replacing all of the light bulbs in a house and replacing them with LED lights can save around £55 a year on energy bills – and will be more energy efficient.


Potential Annual Savings: £55


Hack 8: Don’t leave electronic devices on standby We all do it, whether it’s charging your phone over night or leaving your TV on standby, leaving devices plugged in while you are not using them ultimately wastes electricity. Just by simply switching all entertainment devices like TVs and chargers in the home off at the plug, you could save yourself around £55 a year.


Don’t turn off other devices like your fridge or freezer though, as these are designed to be on at all times.


Potential Annual Savings: £55


Hack 9: Check taps for leaks Leaks are common and can be a huge factor in determining your water bills.


Faulty taps are not always easy to spot - and can waste thousands of litres of water every year. While the leak often comes from the sprout when the tap is closed, leaks can also occur in less inspected areas like from connecting pipes under the sink.


NOVEMBER 2022 DIY WEEK 11


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