Saving energy is not only good for the planet, but also for your wallet. With a few smart adjustments to your behaviour and home, you can save quite a few euros a year. And the best part? You don't have to make any major investments! Together with energy supplier Vandebron, we have listed five practical tips for you. Ready to save energy and money effortlessly? Ready, set, go!
Energy-saving roadmap
In cooperation with Vandebron
To save energy properly, it is useful to better understand your monthly energy bill. It might disappear straight into your (digital) dustbin, but it contains a surprising amount of useful information. Your energy bill has two main components: the cost of electricity and the cost of gas. You use electricity for your appliances and lighting, gas mainly for heating, hot water and many households also use gas for cooking. The gas bill is probably the biggest expense, because from October to April, the heating is often on in most Dutch homes. So that's also where the most profit can be made! Fortunately, without sitting in the cold, you can be smarter with your heating and save a lot of euros.
Look beyond saving: how green is your energy?
Saving is good, but even more important is where your energy comes from. After all, not all ‘green’ electricity is really green. Some energy suppliers buy grey power and only green it on paper with foreign certificates. Want to be sure that your power is truly sustainable? Then choose a supplier that demonstrably supplies power generated from Dutch wind or solar energy. Compare suppliers and check before buying energy contract How your power is generated. This way, you not only make conscious choices at home, but also outside!
Get to work in winter: heating!
Using your heating smartly makes a huge difference to your energy bill. Set the thermostat one degree lower and put on an extra jumper and save 5% on your gas consumption. Another smart trick: turn it down or off completely an hour before you go to bed. You're snug under the blankets anyway, so you won't feel a thing, and a fresh bedroom is a good place to sleep. Do you have a clock or smart thermostat? Then set it so the temperature stays around 15°C at night (17-18°C with underfloor heating).
Saving money is one side of the story, but also make sure the heat you generate does not dissipate unnecessarily. Check if your draught strips are still working properly and consider installing radiator foil behind your heating. These are cheap adjustments with a big effect to temper your gas consumption a little.
Put it on 60!
Do you have a central heating boiler? Chances are it is set to 80°C by default. That is higher than necessary and causes your boiler to use a lot of gas unnecessarily. Fortunately, you can easily adjust this! Turn the temperature of your boiler down to 60°C (or even 50°C with good insulation). Your heating and shower will continue to work just fine. This simple trick can save you around 40 to 60 euros a year. Don't know how? Go to zetmop60.nl you will find a clear explanation. Please note: this adjustment only applies to heating, not to tap water!
Save on hot water
Generating hot water costs a lot of energy, especially if you have a gas-fired central heating boiler. The less hot water you use, the lower your energy bill. Taking shorter showers is an easy and effective way to save: going from nine to five minutes will save dozens of euros a year. Buy an egg timer or a shower radio (and shower no longer than five minutes or one to two songs). Another smart adjustment? Replace your shower head with a water-saving model and use up to 50% less water without even noticing. Small effort, big difference!
Tour of your home: replace your bulbs with LED
Many people think that lighting hardly affects their energy bills, but if you still have halogen or incandescent bulbs hanging around, it really is time for a change. upgrade. LED bulbs use up to 85% less power and last much longer. Take a walk around your house and check which bulbs you can still replace. Start with the ones you use most often, such as in the living room, kitchen and hallway. This is a small investment that will quickly pay off on your energy bill!
Stop standby consumption: really turn off appliances!
Many appliances use energy even when you think they are off. Your TV, computer, game console and even your coffee machine together consume around 450 kWh per year on standby, according to Urgenda. That could easily cost you a hundred euros a year! The solution? Turn appliances really off or unplug them if you don't use them much. A handy help is a through-the-wall plug with an on/off switch. Place it between your appliances and the wall socket and switch everything off at once. Easy and effective! Want to know more about standby consumption? We have a comprehensive article listing the biggest energy guzzlers.
Photo credits: Tatiana Syrikova (Pexels).
