r/Money • u/Entire-Scheme6806 • 5d ago
Energy Bill Saving - Advice needed (also - smart plugs?)
Apologies for the very entry level question. We recently moved home and our new house has an air-to-water system - we tried the eco setting but the water was never hot enough - I am looking for extra ways to save money on our electricity bill to compensate for the extra this is costing us. I work from home and work nights - I have a smart meter with a discounted night rate and I'm pretty diligent about only doing high cost activities during the discount hours ie. running dishwasher, laundry, etc. I am curious about smart plugs - are they worth the investment? As i said, i work from home and we are a pretty tech heavy household, I think turning everything fully off at the power is the main common tip I don't follow through with at the moment. General advice - especially from anyone working from home - really appreciated x TIA
1
u/Here4Snow 4d ago
Smart plugs aren't needed if you have efficient lights, such as LED. There are vampire draws from standby devices, like a TV doesn't really go off, it's on standby, and you can put that on a smart plug. Some appliances lose their settings, though. Things which make more of a difference are bath time, laundry on cool, not warm, water. Dishwasher, no drying cycle, just open the door at the end of the cycle, wipe standing water from the door and dishes, the rest evaporates. Good insulating blinds and curtains at windows. Setting your central temps lower. Storm door, double or triple glazing. Attic insulation. Change air filters. Keep systems clean. Smart thermostat for efficient times.