Moving to a new house can be an expensive process, so if you can save some money in other areas then there's never a better time to do it!
Moving to a new house can be a very expensive process, so if you can save some money in other areas then there is never a better time to do it. Your energy bills make up a large proportion of your monthly outgoings and it pays to analyse your energy costs to identify ways to save. Also, if you are moving into a new home then it’s good to get your house set up to be as energy efficient as possible from the very start. Here are some of the big things that will help you to save energy in your new home:
Give meter readings for old and new homes The first thing to do is to give your energy suppliers a meter reading to ensure that you do not pay for energy that the people moving into your old property are responsible for and the same with your new home. It can be the last thing on your mind when it gets to moving day but it could cost you a fair bit if you forget. Also, be wary of your current supplier trying to charge you for leaving early, convince you to transfer your contract to your new home, or putting you on the spot with paying outstanding amounts without having seen your final bill.
Compare the different energy suppliers Once you have moved in, call the existing energy supplier to give your meter readings and ask them what the energy consumption has been for the last 12 months. They should be able to give you a figure in kilowatts per hour and you can use that figure to see how much you would be paying at different suppliers. The quicker you sort out your new supplier, the less money you will be paying for higher rates that you could have moved away from.
Check the light bulbs Once you are in your home, check what sort of light bulbs are being used and if they are not LED then replace them with the more energy efficient bulbs. If you are moving to a larger home with more lights it is even more beneficial to reduce the energy consumption this way.
Get into good habits with switching appliances off If your household is in the habit of leaving appliances on standby then now is the perfect time to change those bad habits. Get into a routine of switching things off when they are not in use and unplug items like the TV, phone chargers etc. as over a long period, this will save you considerable amounts of energy.
Check any new appliances for energy efficiency ratings If your new home comes with appliances like a fridge, washing machine, dishwasher etc. take a look at the energy efficiency ratings. You may find that an item has a very poor rating and you should replace that when you get the chance, in order to reduce your energy consumption. Washing machines usually display their ratings and if not, you can find out through a bit of online research of the make and model.
Review insulation Check whether your roof or ceiling has insulation as when winter comes, you could be losing a lot of heat through your roof if you do not have any insulation installed.
