New Equipment - When buying new household items such as washing machines, refrigerators and cookers always make sure that you buy energy efficient one. Usually they are graded A - E depending on how much energy they use, with A being the most efficient.

They may cost a little more to buy initially than the less efficient ones but considering how long you will be using the equipment just imagine how much your savings could be over time.

The Laundry - Washing machines are one of the most expensive items to run, especially if you have a large family and need to do large quantities of washing every week. However, by using the machine wisely and in a more frugal way you can reduce the costs quite considerably:

* Always wash a full load if possible.

* Choose the half load option on the machine when washing a small amount of washing.

* Turn down the temperature of the wash. Washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 will still wash your clothes and will mean that less energy is required to heat the water.

Water - Many homes are now being fitted with water meters that may mean that if they do not reduce the way they use water they could be paying a lot more.

In deed the whole reason water meters are being fitted is to make people more aware of just how much water they are using and encourage them to change their ways and use water in a more frugal way.

A few ideas to reduce water usage are:

* Fix leaking taps as soon as possible

* Reduce the flush in your toilets by placing a plastic bottle filled with water or sand into the tank. It is also possible to buy toilets that come with the facility to use a short and long flush as required.

* Have showers instead of baths and reduce the length of time in the shower everyday.

*Turn water taps off when shaving or brushing teeth.

Electricity - These days everything seems to need to be plugged in, I personally try to stay away from unnecessary electrical equipment like digital clocks and fake flame effect fires. Here is some of the best frugal heating tips and other electrical reducing ideas I have come across and use every day in my own home.

• Use energy saving light bulbs wherever possible, they are even available as day light bulbs that I find a much brighter light.
• Only boil enough water in the kettle that is required.
• Turn off electrical equipment when not in use and do not leave them on their standby function.
• Turn lights off when the room is empty
• Clean behind refrigerators regularly to keep the cooling elements clear of dust. This makes them far more efficient.

Cooking - This something which many of us may not think about when considering saving energy, but as we cook everyday the amount of power we use certainly mounts up every month and should certainly be something we take into consideration in our frugal lifestyle changes.

• Gas ovens and tops create instant heat, not like an electric oven that requires more time to reach the required temperature. Gas is generally cheaper than electricity as well.
• When heating a small item it is more energy efficient to use a microwave as it cooks quicker and so uses less power. One of the best frugal heating tips given to me, was using the microwave to heat up my nighttime milky drink.
• When cooking on the oven, always cover pots and pans with a lid, this will allow the food to cook quicker.
• Use the smallest pan required for the food to be cooked. There is no sense in trying to heat up a large pan to cook just a small item.

Heating - Frugal heating tips is a must for every money conscious person and as winters seem to be getting colder everywhere, the better we can keep our homes warm without using more power the better.

• Install new boilers in the summer when prices are lower for this type of appliance. This is also a good time to get the boiler checked over and will save expensive winter breakdowns.
• Turn down the thermostat a few degrees than normal, the difference in the temperature will hardly be noticeable but the reduction in the utility bill will be.
• Check with your power supplier to see if they have off peak price periods. If they do, program your thermostat to come on and go off during these times to warm the house up for less money.
• Keep internal doors closed
• Close the curtains in unused rooms during the day.
• Use heavy curtains for windows and doors. It’s amazing just how much heat can be lost through your front door.
• Fill holes and gaps in floorboards and around windows.
• Insulate the loft; I used old newspapers underneath the loft insulation for that extra warmth.
• Insulate water boilers.

These frugal heating tips and energy saving ideas have saved me hundreds of pounds over the years and my utility bills are now not so much of a frightening experience as they used to be.

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