These are the best energy-saving products that you can buy today, to help keep your energy prices down for good. We’ve been doing a lot of research to find the ultimate energy-efficient buys that you want to buy for use at home. Because we all know by now that energy bills are set to rise from April the 1st in the UK, so instead of panicking about something that’s out of your control, prepare yourself (and your home) now for the price increase.
Whilst there are plenty of larger issues that you can tackle to reduce the cost of your utility bills, such as investing in solar panels and switching every single light in your house to energy-saving LED bulbs, we are aware that not everyone has hundreds of pounds to spend right now. However, if you are looking for easy ways to reduce your energy bills without spending a penny, ‘You could save up to 10 percent of your heating bill by turning down your thermostat by just one degree’ claims Matthew Currington, Technical Director at The Lighting Superstore. He adds ‘You can save approximately £35 a year by turning all appliances off standby mode when they’re not in use.’ Some food for thought!
Saying that, if you are in a position to spend a little money (£30 or less) on an energy-saving product or two, we are here to help. Whether you are concerned about your draughty home or it’s switching on your heating or tumble dryer that’s making you hesitate right now, we’ve found items that can help you shed £££s off your bills ahead of April.
Every penny matters to the Ideal Home team, and we’ve got plenty more suggestions on how to save energy at home, in fact, once you’ve done your shopping below, it might be a smart idea to follow some of our tips and tricks. We’ve got advice on how to keep your home warm and much more, to get ahead of the game and cut your costs now.
1. Long Life Lamp Company Automatic LED Night Light: £9.99 £8.99 at Amazon If your children like to have a night light on, or perhaps you sleep better knowing your hallway is lit to lead their way to you? These plug-in night lights aren’t just compact but they’re rated A++ on the energy scale. They automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn, and they come in a range of colours They’re completely safe to use around pets and even children, especially since they don’t give off any heat. A great alternative to leaving a full lamp or a light on, and they are especially great to use whilst you are out of the house, to give the illusion that you are inside, without the expense of leaving a light on.
2. EcoStar ECOS21 Tap Aerator Swivel: £12.05 £10.09 at Amazon This simple addition can make a world of difference to your kitchen or bathroom. How? Screw it onto your tap to use less water, but for more pressure when it comes to cleaning your plates or washing your hands. It’s super easy to install, plus it completely swivels and it has two modes to choose from.
3. Magichome Store Ionic Shower Head: £10.38 at Amazon Switch your current showerhead out for this one and thank us later. Not only because it will increase your shower pressure and make your hair and skin feel softer, but because it works to reduce the amount of water you use as you shower. It’s easy to fit within minutes, without any tools required. Plus, its filtration shower head helps balance the pH of your water and remove toxins, heavy metals, chlorine and more from reaching your hair and skin. The benefits of this showerhead are incredible, even if not for saving money as you shower. Buy now from Amazon 4. KinTor Wool Dryer Balls: £10.97 at Amazon If you’re not ready to give up using your tumble dryer, or perhaps you’re not a fan of how your washing feels when it dries naturally? Buy a bag of these wool dryer balls and you’ll never look back. They aim to cut drying time and reduce creases in your clothes, meaning you’ll have to use your iron less (yes!). They’re unscented although you can use them with essential oils to fragrance your clothes naturally, and each ball will last for up to 1,000 uses. Meaning you won’t need to replace these for years to come. Use 3 – 4 balls for a medium or small load and 6 balls for a large load of wet washing, and we guarantee you’ll be impressed at how fast your washing goes from being damp to dry. Buy now from Amazon
3. Magichome Store Ionic Shower Head: £10.38 at Amazon Switch your current showerhead out for this one and thank us later. Not only because it will increase your shower pressure and make your hair and skin feel softer, but because it works to reduce the amount of water you use as you shower. It’s easy to fit within minutes, without any tools required. Plus, its filtration shower head helps balance the pH of your water and remove toxins, heavy metals, chlorine and more from reaching your hair and skin. The benefits of this showerhead are incredible, even if not for saving money as you shower.
4. KinTor Wool Dryer Balls: £10.97 at Amazon If you’re not ready to give up using your tumble dryer, or perhaps you’re not a fan of how your washing feels when it dries naturally? Buy a bag of these wool dryer balls and you’ll never look back. They aim to cut drying time and reduce creases in your clothes, meaning you’ll have to use your iron less (yes!). They’re unscented although you can use them with essential oils to fragrance your clothes naturally, and each ball will last for up to 1,000 uses. Meaning you won’t need to replace these for years to come. Use 3 – 4 balls for a medium or small load and 6 balls for a large load of wet washing, and we guarantee you’ll be impressed at how fast your washing goes from being damp to dry.
5. 4 Panel Cylinder Jacket: £12.98 at Screwfix Cover your boiler to help it conceal heat with help from this affordable buy from Screwfix. Whether your boiler lives in your cold loft or inside an airing cupboard, wrapping it in this flame-retardant thick cover will provide you with hotter water. With 5-star reviews across the board, it’s clear that this is a total bargain.
6. Milano – Chrome Thermostatic Valve Head: £14.95 at Best Heating An easy way to cut your energy bills, buy a thermostatic valve or four to control each of your radiators individually. Yes, this means that you can choose not to heat certain rooms that you don’t use all of the time, think: a guest room. They’re easy to fit and even easier to use. Even if you don’t want to turn off a radiator, you can just turn the temperature right down and save ££s.
Buy now from Best Heating
7.Chimney Sheep 8 inch Round Chimney Draught Excluder: £17.50 at Amazon If you often feel a draught coming from your fireplace when it’s not in use, then it’d be worth buying a chimney sheep to help trap cold air out of your room. Not to mention that using one of these will also help stop wind noises and debris from falling into your home. This one buy is said to be able to save you up to £60 a year on your energy bills, and they say to buy a chimney sheep a couple of inches larger than needed.
8. Eufy by Anker Lumi Stick-On Night Light: £17.99 for 3 at Amazon Use these genius lights to illuminate your wardrobe, your coat cupboard or even so that you needn’t use power switching on any big lights in your bathroom or hallway at night. They’re battery-powered and they can be attached to a wall with ease, no need for an electrician. They’re powered by motion detection so as not to waste unnecessary battery power in case you forget to switch them off, and each light should provide soft illumination for up to one year before the batteries need to be changed.
9. Deconovo Blackout Curtains: £24.59 £19.94 at Amazon Now less than £20, these blackout curtains are also thermal, so as to keep heat inside your room in the winter, and in the summer to ensure your room stays cool all night long. How? They are triple-layered with a special fabric, all you need to do is choose a colour and measure your window. They’re eyelet curtains making them super simple to hang within minutes, and they have almost 40,000 reviews on Amazon.
10. GAIATOP Space Heater: £26.69 £19.99 at Amazon A very affordable price to pay for a heater, especially one that looks this good, we say to snap up this bargain now. It’s a great buy for smaller spaces and it will mean that you won’t have to heat your entire house if you are only spending time in one room. Stand it on the floor or atop a table or other clear surface, and it heats fast to get you warm in an instant, plus it operates at a quiet 45dB so as not to disturb you whilst bingeing Netflix in bed or typing away in your office.
11. Radflek Radiator Reflectors: £21.99 £20.29 at Amazon These radiator reflectors will help keep your house warm when your heating is on. How? Place them behind your radiator (don’t worry, they’re out of sight) to reflect heat back into your room, instead of onto an external wall and to waste. This way, you might find that you can turn the temperature of your heating down – or that you need not leave your heating on for so long. They’re easy to fit since these panels hang from wall brackets that you can stick to the wall behind your radiator. Plus, they are said to reduce heat loss by a whopping 45%.
12. Fowong Heavy Door Draft Excluder: £28.99 £21.99 at Amazon Available in a range of colours to suit your home decor, this heavy draught excluder blocks air from flowing through your house, as well as sound. It’s not just great for doors, but it can be used to conceal windows, too. This draught excluder, though small, will be sure to make a big difference if you’ve got an issue at home with one particular room being drafty. The best part? With hooks on either end, when not in use you can simply just hang it from your door handle. Oh, and it comes in 3 different sizes.
13. PETS LOVE Desk Lamp LED: £28.99 £27.99 at Amazon Clip this lamp to the side of your desk and plug it into the USB port on your laptop to give it power. It offers 3 light modes and 10 brightness levels, and its LED light uses 75% less power than a standard incandescent light. Plus, it takes up little to no space on your desk and it rotates 360 degrees so that you can point it to wherever you need lighting up the most.
14. FIMEI Electric Kettle: £35.95 £29.95 at Amazon If you are flicking your kettle on several times a day, then it might be a smart idea to switch to a more efficient model. This one, for instance, offers 6 temperature control levels so that you needn’t boil the water until it’s mega-hot every single time. Perhaps you want to enjoy your cuppa as soon as you’ve poured it? Or, perhaps you need hot water for your little one’s bottle? Chose from 40°C to 100°C. Not only that, but it has a ‘keep warm’ function that proves itself handy if you truly are an avid tea drinker.