As Autumn has arrived so have the cold nights and the reality of our energy bills hiking up has set in. There are lots of ways to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable. We have put together some of the top tips to save energy and help you reduce your energy consumptions and bills.

 Temperature:  

 Heating: Turn the thermostat for your living areas down to 20°C. The temperature in hallways and bedrooms should be cooler, ideally between 15 – 18°C. By turning your thermostat down by just 1C equates to 10% of your heating bill, which in turn could save you €150 in a typical family home.

 Radiators: Use the radiator valve to turn the temperature down or off in rooms that you do not use a lot.

 Hot Water: Set your hot water thermostat to between 60-65°C, make sure that you do not overheat your water.

 Appliances: Most of the energy used by a dishwasher and washing machine is for water heating. Run them on a lower temperature setting and save on your energy costs. Wash clothes at 30°C if they aren’t particularly dirty.

 Fridge Freezer: Keep your fridge’s temperature at between 2-3°C for the best performance. This keeps your food safe to eat and avoids freezing and ruining your fruit and veg. The freezer should be set to -15ºC.

Heating Timers: Set the times that your heating comes on and off so that it fits with your daily routine.

Lighting: Replace all light bulbs with energy efficient options, in particular LED lights. Select the lowest wattage bulb needed to light the room. At Expert Hardware we have a full range of LED energy saving light bulbs in our stores.

Call into your local store today for more hints & tips on how to save money and energy!!

www.experthardware.ie