How to save energy this Christmas season

Christmas is fast approaching. The weather is colder, everything seems busier, and at night you can see twinkling Christmas lights everywhere, adding a magical feel to the darkness.

But have you ever stopped to think about the extra energy we use over Christmas? Not just the Christmas lights but everything else too. Most of us spend more time at home over the Christmas holiday season, which means more energy being used for heating, cooking and entertainment. 

Christmas is already an expensive time of year, but does this mean that we are also at risk of increased energy bills later because of excessive use over Christmas?

In this article we take a look at five ways to save energy this Christmas season, without turning into The Grinch in the process.

Get your Christmas lights right

We all love Christmas lights, but some are much more economical than others. If you have halogen Christmas lights, these are the most expensive to run. They are less efficient than other types of electric lighting because around 90% of the energy they consume is lost as heat.

Three alternatives to halogen lights are:

• LED lights

Upgrading your Christmas lights to LEDs is a good way to save money. For example, a 6W set of 1,000 LED fairy lights will only cost around 0.2p an hour to run. Even if you had them switched on for eight hours a day for most of December, they would only cost around 50p.

LED lights are also very long-lasting, and could give you up to around 25,000 hours of sparkle.

And LED lights don’t only enable you to save money, but they are a safer option for your home, as unlike halogen bulbs they do not get hot and which can pose a potential fire risk.

• Battery powered lights

Another option you may want to consider is battery powered lights, as they have no impact at all on your energy bills. They can also be very convenient in that you can put them anywhere : they do not need to be near a plug socket. 

However, battery powered lights can work out more expensive. Most lights need at least two AA or AAA batteries, which don’t come cheap. Batteries also have limited life – usually around 6 hours – so will need changing regularly.

• Solar lights

It may seem strange to consider solar lights as an option for Christmas lights, but solar-powered lights will still work in winter as long as they get some sun, although they are likely to be dimmer and not stay on as long as during the summer months. But for outside Christmas lighting that you want to come on for a while at dusk, they could be an option worth considering, especially as no wires are needed.

Manage your central heating thermostat

If you have central heating you will know only too well how variable the temperature can be. Even if you leave it on the same temperature setting, some days it can still feel chilly, and others you will be baking. 

This is due to all kinds of additional factors such as external temperature and wind direction. But the important thing is to manage your central heating thermostat wisely.

If you realise that the temperature is hotter than it needs to be, turn your thermostat down. Even turning it down regularly by just one degree can shave a healthy amount off your energy bills. For every degree you turn your heating down, you could save an estimated £80 a year.

The ideal is to see if your existing thermostat – or potential new one if it needs replacing – has a corresponding app that you could install on your phone. This enables you to closely monitor the temperature in your home and to adjust on a regular basis as needed.

Put those Christmas jumpers on!

Another obvious way to save money on heating is to wear warmer clothes. It can be all too easy to turn the heating up when you start feeling chilly, but a cheaper alternative is to layer up.

So put those Christmas jumpers to good use and wear them round the house over Christmas. They will keep you warm and you can save money at the same time. 

And wrapping up in blankets can make a cosy night in watching movies even cosier! 

Keep warm air in and cold air out

The temperature of air in and around your home can make a big impact on the energy being used. A few examples are:

• If you are using the oven but keep opening the oven door, this will cause the heat to escape from the oven, causing your oven to work harder – i.e. use more energy – to get back to the temperature needed.
• However, if you finish using the oven, it’s a great idea to open the door and let the warm air help to increase the residual heat in your kitchen and save a bit of central heating use. The same applies to other heat-generating appliances such as tumble driers.
• If family and guests are coming in and out of your home, keep the front doors shut as much as possible. Do your hellos and goodbyes inside the hall rather than standing with the door open. And if you are unloading shopping, bring it all to the outside of the front door before opening the door to bring it in; rather than leaving the door standing open for several minutes.
• Having a window open is a great idea for ventilation, but don’t open too many windows around the home as you will end up with drafts all over the place and will be tempted to turn up your heating to try and banish them. A better idea may be to open some of the window vents if you have them. This will allow trickle ventilation in your home, without full on blasts of cold air.

Use appliances wisely

If you are buying any new household appliance over the festive season, make sure you get an energy efficient model. This will use less energy and help you to save money on energy bills. Check the energy rating sticker on the appliance. It will have a rating from A to G, with A being the highest.

When you use any appliance, the general rule is the fuller the better. You will save energy if you use your washing machine or dishwasher less often and with fuller loads. Keeping your fridge and freezer full means that less cold air escapes when you open the door, and less energy has to be used to recool. 

And when making a meal in your oven, why not batch cook? Making double the quantity of a meal means that you will have a dish to freeze for future use and will not have used any more energy than making one meal.

Another energy-saving tip is to turn electrical items off at the plug when not in use. Everything such as lamps, TV, games consoles, and all kinds of chargers. If an item is left in standby it continues to use power. If you get into the habit over the festive season of turning things off at the wall you could easily save at least £35 a year.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that this article helps you to save money on your energy bills this festive season.

Do check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.