You might think that your energy bill should naturally decrease during the summer months if your central heating is turned off, but you could be wrong.
Even though it’s warmer and most of us don’t have the heating on all day, your bills could still be at risk of rising.
That’s why it’s important to be aware of the most common mistakes people make at home in hot weather that could increase their electricity bill by a staggering £250.
While you may not think it matters at the time, things like taking a long shower or leaving a light switch on all day can cause your household bills to skyrocket.
This is because while gas is not used as frequently, electricity is uncontrolled.
And it often confuses homeowners, who are surprised when their bills are higher than expected.
Fortunately, an energy expert has revealed the five common mistakes people make in summer that are driving up energy bills.
The experts at Heat Pumps UK have also shared their top tips on how you can cut costs wherever possible.
Leaving technological devices on or in standby mode
Many of us are guilty of leaving our appliances on standby instead of turning them off, because what happens if we want to use them again?
While it may be more convenient, it is bad for your energy bills.
Devices such as televisions, laptops and gaming consoles emit heat when they are on and even in standby mode.
And experts have discovered that by doing this you are probably wasting £100 on unnecessary energy bills during the summer months.
Therefore, to maintain a cool room temperature and save money on your energy bill, it is imperative to turn off all electronic devices that you are not using.
Experts say: “It is better to unplug appliances that are not in use, as they continue to consume energy and emit heat even when they are in standby mode.”
Using the dryer
It can be very tempting to open the tumble dryer, especially when the wet Scottish weather prevents us from drying our clothes outside on the clothesline.
But experts warn that it is a real waste of money during the summer.
Even changing and putting your clothes on nearby clothes racks or drying racks could save you some money.
A typical Scottish family washes around 45 loads of laundry a month on average.
At 4.5 kilowatts per cycle, running a dryer for each load would cost around 50p.
This could add up to approximately £67.50 during the summer months.
Experts say: “Taking advantage of the warmer weather and drying your clothes naturally on a clothesline will likely save you a few bucks.”
Hot water waste
We’ve mentioned it before, but taking a long shower or even leaving the tap running can drive up your bills.
This is because hot water is wasted and around 18 percent of a typical home’s energy use comes from heating water, so every drop counts.
Revealing how much it is costing them, the experts said: “I would say a typical Scottish household could be wasting around £50 on their electricity bills from wasted hot water.”
They added: “Everyday habits like lingering in the shower, boiling a full kettle for a single brew or a huge pot for a couple of vegetables add up.”
Five ways to cut your water bill by £500 a year
Households continue to feel the impact of rising costs of living, but many don’t know they can find easy ways to reduce water use and save money on bills.
There are many water-saving methods that can be implemented at home with minimal effort.
- Upgrade from a traditional flush toilet to a dual flush toilet: £109
- Upgrading from a higher flow shower head to a lower flow shower head: £94
- Reduce showers from eight minutes to five – £61
- Don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth – £37
- Fix your leaky toilet – £236
Leaving the lights on
With brighter nights and longer days during the summer, there is less need to keep the lights on inside the house all day.
And while turning on the lights may seem harmless, it all adds up.
Not only are you using extra electricity, which can increase your bills, but some traditional light bulbs also generate heat.
Experts advise switching to energy-saving or LED light bulbs, which are much more energy-efficient than traditional lights.
Or even keeping the blinds open at night to make the most of natural light can mean you don’t need to turn on the light at all.
Experts say: “Traditional light bulbs waste about 90 percent of their energy by generating heat instead of light.
“If you left just three light bulbs on for four hours a day, at 2p per kilowatt-hour, that would cost you £21.60 in the summer.”
Misusing fans
Although the Scottish weather has been miserable and rainy for most of the summer, it has still been warm and humid.
So for most of us, having a fan at home has been a blessing.
However, many people make the mistake of doing this because they circulate the air, creating a refreshing breeze, but they do not cool the temperature of the room.
Experts explain: “A big mistake people make with fans is leaving the windows open.
“This allows warm air to enter, which in turn increases the temperature of the room and the fan simply continues to move the warm air.
“A bowl of ice in front of the fan can create a cooler breeze and help you get the most out of your fan.”
A typical fan uses between 30 and 100 watts depending on its size.
Read more in the Scottish Sun
On average, a 65 watt fan running for eight hours a day would cost around 12 pence a day.
That’s roughly equivalent to £10.80 over a three-month summer period.
