British Summer Time ends this Sunday at 2am and energy firm Swalec has claimed the average Welsh home will have 20 clocks to change.
Changing the clocks twice a year may seem like an unnecessary chore but this small modification can make a big difference to your seasonal energy bill.
Andrew Lloyd, Swalec’s energy efficiency manager, said: “With the darker nights and much colder temperatures we do tend to spend much more time at home with the lights and heating on, which can lead to much higher bills than in summer. However, there are some very simple steps that can be taken to reduce your energy consumption not just this winter, but all year round.”
Swalec’s top ten energy saving tips which can be combined with changing the clocks.
- When re-setting the central heating clock, if it’s not too cold, consider turning down the thermostat by just 1 oC. This could save up to £30 per year on the average annual energy bill.
- Likewise, turn water heaters down to 60 oC to save up to £15 per year.
- Now that it’s dark earlier, make sure you draw your curtains at dusk as they will limit heat loss.
- Bleed your radiators to make sure that they are working properly and book a service for your boiler.
- Avoid drying clothes on a radiator as they will prevent heat from circulating around your home.
- Check for draughts as you go from room to room which may need to be addressed.
- Switch your television, DVD player, stereo or set-top box off completely when not in use – they keep using energy when left on standby.
- Unplug mobile phones once fully charged – 95% of the energy used by mobile phone chargers is actually wasted by leaving the charger plugged in.
- Switch off your computer games console at the wall when finished to save money and energy – they can consume up to 180W of electricity, potentially adding £160 per year to an electricity bill.
- Modems, speakers, scanners and DVD players can all be left running even when we think we’ve switched them off – a simple ‘standby reduction device’ will automatically cut the power when you switch off your TV or computer.