DAD-OF-TWO Mark Thompson was able to save £750 on his bill by turning off or selling electricity-hungry appliances.
Armed with a nifty money-saving gadget, Mark goesto every room inthe house to see how much the appliances run, and is shocked by the results. received.
Mark worked in the energy industry. His wife Heather is also retired and lives in Norwich, Cheshire. She has two children. Hannah, 26, and her girlfriend Sally, 22.
Mark closely monitored how much energy his freezer, kettle, washing machine, and dishwasher were using in April,when his bill went up. decided to cut costs.
He purchased smart his plug to do this. They act like his second plug. Plug it into the socket, then plug in the appliance.
You can purchase models that show how much it costs to run the appliance.
Usually cheaper models cost him £8-15 andsmart he differs from meter. This is because smart meters do not know the price of individual appliances.
Mark's energy supplier is a light bulb, and at his present monthly variable rate, each unit of electricity is 28 pence per kilowatt-hour.
Some appliances consume more energy to operate than others - mark how much some of them cost I was surprised to see that
The biggest cost waste was the old freezer, which cost about 68 pence a day, or £250 a year.
He has two of his, which cost £500 a year.
His kettle costs a penny a cup. Over the year it will cost him £43.80.
He uses the dishwasher three times a week at a cost of 37 pence, for an annual total of £57.72 for him. Turning
's washing machine would cost him 12p a turn, and if he used it three times a week, it would amount to £18.72 a year.
His printer was on standby, costing him £15 a year.
"It's a great time to find out how much their appliances cost. Often they spend a lot of money to run them," he said.
He made some major changes around the house, and reduced his utility bills. We estimate this will save us around £750 per year.
"I plan to dispose of my extra freezer and sell it. I can't justify the cost.
"
He put sticky notes on his appliances. and write down how much it costs to scribble to remind you to use appliances sparingly.
He also felt tip marks on the kettle, so he knew how far to make two cups of tea - this helped him avoid wasting energy by making too much tea.
Billing averages £3,549 per year - so he's making changes now.
"Smart plugs cost up to £15, which is pretty steep, but considering what you're saving, it's definitely worth it."
How else can you cut your home costs?
According to Uswitch, tumble dryers are one of the largest energy consumers, costing about £1.27 per cycle.
Turn it off with the switch and use clothespins to dry your clothes for free instead.
Turning the thermostat down just one degree will save him £100, says the Energy Saving Trust.
Properly windproofing your home can save you £45 a year. You can put old socks and towels on the door.
Boiler Check your settings and save £95 a year. Turn off the "comfort" mode to reduce the temperature of the stream.
A smart meter can save you £65 on your monthly utility bills.
You can save an additional 12 pounds by washing clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40.
