Save money on your bills with these energy saving tips ...

UK energy bills have been rising, you will save money by being more energy efficient throughout your home.

Most of us don't think about how we use the energy in our homes. Simple changes to your daily habits can have an astonishing effect on the bills that come through your door.

The energy saving tips and information West Lothian's Local Electrician provides are designed to help you control the impact of rising energy bills without effecting your lifestyle.

The secret is to look at your home not as you see it now, but how it will be seen.

First off is to have a look at your current Carbon Footprint, click on the logo - Act on CO2, where you will find a quick, easy to complete calculator to see how energy efficient your home is, or not.

Start Saving NOW!

Yes, now. It does not even have to cost a penny. Simple actions can cut your bills dramatically without a penny being spent:

• Heating
• Set your heating to turn off 30min before you leave the house and turn on 30min before you expect to return home.
• Turn your thermostat down by 1degree, you will not notice the difference but it can save over £30 a year.
• Keep radiators clear from furniture, curtains and clothes.
• Pull the curtains when it starts getting dark, this will help to stop the heat escaping through the windows.
• Don't have the heating on and the windows open
• Electricity
• Turn off lights when you leave the room.
• Consider changing electricity supplier, others maybe cheaper or have no standing charges.
• Stop leaving things plugged in when not in use, this does not only save you money but if there was to be a fault on an appliance plugged in, it can cause the electricity to go off, even if switched off at the plug.
• Switch to energy saving light bulbs, yes it can be free to do. When a bulb blows replace it with an energy saver these can be found at supermarkets cheaper than standard bulbs, they also cost less to run and last 10 times longer.
• Washing
• Turn the temperature of your washing machine down to 30degrees, most detergents still work as good at this temperature.
• Try to wash full loads or use the half load/economy feature on your machine.
• Dry your clothes outside if possible.
• If using a tumble dryer, dry smaller amounts and like items (synthetics) at a time.
• Surprisingly, modern dishwashers use less water than washing by hand. They also only heat the water required when needed.
• When ironing, try to iron large amounts at a time
• Cooking
• Use a like sized pan for the ring being used to prevent heat loss.
• Always use a pot lid, this helps keep the heat in the pan and cook the product quicker.
• Use the fan assisted feature on oven, it will help circulate the heat evenly thus allowing for a lower cooking temperature.
• Don't open and close oven un necessarily, every time the door is opened more heat escapes thus making the oven heat it back up again.
• Hot Water
• If you have an electric shower, use it as opposed to a bath. It's not only cleaner it also only heats the water as required, therefore allowing you to turn off your water heater.
• Heat water as required, if you only want to do dishes 15min with the water heater should be more than enough to fill a basin.
• Lower the temperature of your water heater thermostat slightly.
• Use gas to heat your water rather than your electric immersion, it's around 3 times cheaper.
• When boiling a kettle, only heat enough water for the need required

Options that do cost - you will get your money back ...

• You can replace your old dated appliances with nice, shiny, energy efficient new ones. It may be seem an un unnecessary expense, you are correct, at the beginning it is, although you will be saving money on the fact it is a more energy efficient product you now own.

• Replace your old boiler, you should have your money back in 3 to 5 years. You will also have a better more efficient heating system.

• Getting loft and cavity wall insulation, this helps prevent heat escaping through the walls and roof. New double glazed windows also help towards the heat loss as well as lowering noise from outside.

• This is also the perfect excuse for a New Car. Yes, buying a new lower CO2 emitting car will also help bills and you may even qualify for free road tax. The government are now giving you a grant to scrap a roadworthy 10year old car to go towards buying a new one.

• Fitting solar panels, becoming more and more popular, especially in other countries and with technology developing so far, these cost effective ways of powering your house can be found everywhere.