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SAVING ON ELECTRICALS

On this page we look at two issues;

• ways to save money on day to day use of electricity in your home or business
• ways of saving money on electrical goods you buy.

Consumption of Electricity

• use price comparison web sites to find best energy deals, search for "electricity prices" to find sites like www.energyhelpline.com (UK) you can usually get GAS prices in the same package. Avoid signing up for services sold at the door, this may only offer introductory good prices, you need guaranteed long term value.
• turn OFF appliances and devices that are not in use, especially those on standby like TVs
• turn DOWN your room thermostat just 1 degree can save £50 a year on heating bills
• hang out your washing and avoid using the tumble drier.
• switch OFF lights in rooms with no one in them.
• fill kettles with ONLY the amount of water you need.
• ensure you have adequate INSULATION in your home and heating is efficient, if you are on benefits or elderly often these can be updated free or at a discount, check locally for
  • roof insulation
  • cavity wall insulation
  • double glazing
  • central heating boilers

  • Grants - Heating and Hot water Industry Council (HHIC) The UK Government funds schemes across the UK, providing grants of up to £2700 to households on certain benefits to improve their heating and energy

  • check your own country options for grants and services.

• put some devises on TIMERS which can switch them on and more importantly OFF at key times. The cost of the timer as a one of charge can be critical so this method is best suited for high consumption devises such as heaters. Using a timer on lights has proven a good anti theft system whilst away from your home making it appear someone is at home, by switching some lights on at night and in the morning.
• check ENERGY EFFICIENCY ratings of new appliances, some burn electricity more than others.

• Energy Efficiency Ratings? Confused about how to find the most energy-smart heating and cooling products? Take a few minutes to learn about the energy efficiency ratings

Buying electrical goods

• saving money by checking out a wide range of suppliers, just popping into a local store can cost you dear and end you up with a wrong model just because it was the only one in stock.

• buy BEFORE there is an emergency, if you leave it until you have an urgent need your bargaining power is reduced and you can miss special deals. Plan the timing of your purchase well in advance.

• beware special deals - you may be able to get it cheaper elsewhere, a store that knocks off 10% in a sale when they are already 25% dearer than other stores is giving nothing away.

• use online price comparison sites using "electrical goods discount" or search by specific models or makes making sure you use "cheap" or "discount" in the keyword search.

• check out the supplier for guarantees and extras which are INCLUDED in the price. The total price is what matters, a deal which includes several items which you need could be a better deal than a cheaper basic price where all extras are over priced.

• telephone the supplier to ensure they are authentic as your spend is likely to be high, take no risks, just being on the web is no guarantee.

• You are not looking for the CHEAPEST unless it is specific brand named. Cheaper can mean poor quality if the brand is unknown.

• always, always pay by credit card which gives some protection if the goods fail to turn up or are inferior.

• Print pages out of offers and your order so you know what you ordered and when.

Please feel free to Contact Us with questions or to give us information to add to our knowledge base.