If you live in private rented accommodation during your time as a student, you might be responsible for paying for energy. Many student lets have inclusive bills, or an allowance for energy where you have to pay for any excess you use.
Energy costs are incredibly high right now, so it’s always a good idea to be careful with what you use.
We’ve put together some simple changes you can make to your routine which will help reduce the amount of energy you use, and the amount of money you spend on bills.
You don’t have to buy a thing and you can start taking action straight away.
Turn it off
Just taking a second to make sure you’ve turned the lights off when you leave a room can save you around £25 per year.
You can also save money by remembering to turn off your devices at the socket. Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off, and this can save you around £65 per year. Just don’t turn off the fridge!
Turn it down
Heating is the single biggest contributor to your energy bill – almost 50%. Simply turning the thermostat down one degree and putting another layer on could save you another £65.
Rethink your use of appliances
Making sure you only switch on the washing machine when you’ve got a full load and reducing the temperature of your wash to thirty degrees, will save you £38 per year.
Tumble dryers are a big drain on energy and cost a lot to run. You could save up to £60 a year by not using one. Invest in an air dryer and put it in a well-ventilated room instead.
If you like a hot drink, only boil as much water as you need. This can save you £8 a year.
Get organised and defrost your food in the fridge. This will reduce the interior temperature and thus the amount of energy it needs to stay cool.
Batch cook your meals. Multiply the ingredients and freeze what’s left over. Reheating food uses a lot less energy than making fresh meals every night.
Halve your shower time
The average shower is said to be around 8 minutes. If you cut that in half, you’ll save £70 a year. You can even get free shower heads from most water companies which are designed to save water without a loss in pressure.
Take your meter readings regularly
If your bills aren’t inclusive, you’ll be responsible for your energy. We recommend that you read your meters when you move in, every month after that, and again when you move out.
If you don’t take meter readings regularly, your energy provider will estimate how much you’ve used. These estimated readings can be much higher than they actually are, and you could receive a big bill. If you need help on how to read your meter, check out our guide here.