Energy saving tips for Summer

Summer is a time of holidays, festivals and outdoor adventures, with days spent basking in the radiant glow of the sun and refreshing breeze. With usually a fair bit of time spent huddled under umbrellas too. This is the UK, after all. With many of us not using our heating during the warmer months, it can be easy to assume that we’re already saving money on energy costs. However, with energy prices still high, there could be more ways to make savings with a few small changes at home.. 

As the cost of living continues to impact our budgets, now is a good time to be looking for practical money saving measures. In fact, summer provides an excellent opportunity to put new routine in place to stay comfortable in our homes while keeping the bills at their minimum. 

In the piece below, we’ve compiled a range of tips on how to save electricity in the summer while also having a positive impact on the environment. 

Jump to:

• Make the most of the sunshine
• Breeze to cool your home down
• Fridge and freezer maintenance
• Utilise fans
• Unplug unused electronics
• Avoid the use of heat-generating appliances

Make the most of the sunshine to save electricity

During the sunnier months, making full use of sunshine can help you save money and reduce your reliance on traditional power sources. 
Alongside letting more daylight into your living space, there are several other ways to harness the power of sunshine and use the benefits it has to offer.

Natural daylight

Currently,  daylight is stretching well into the evening, granting us an extra few hours of sunshine that can significantly benefit our household.

By keeping curtains and blinds open (when it’s not really warm), you can let the natural light flood in and brighten your rooms without needing to switch the lights on for large parts of the day and early evening. Even if you need to light your home early in the morning or later in the evening, the use of daylight when possible can make a noticeable difference in your monthly electricity bill.

To increase the efficiency of indoor lighting, it’s also important to switch off the lights in rooms that you’re not using. While leaving lights on in empty rooms may seem inconsequential, the energy consumption adds up over time, unnecessarily increasing your utility expenses. This small, yet important habit of turning them off can save you money while contributing to a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Drying the laundry

Despite all the advanced appliances available on the market, nothing can beat air and sun-dried laundry. Whether you have a clothes line fixed in your garden, or simply put a drying rack outside or on your balcony, warmer temperatures and a fresh summer breeze can do wonders and dry your laundry in just a few hours.

Alongside the refreshing feel, drying laundry in a traditional way has several benefits:

• Not using a tumble drier can save you a lot of energy, as these appliances count among the most high-power items you can have at home.
• Outdoor drying can minimise wear and tear on clothing compared to tumble drying. This extends your clothes’ lifespan and reduces how often you’ll have to buy replacements, ultimately saving money and time.
• Outdoor drying, whenever the weather allows, means that you won’t need to turn the heating on just to dry clothes.
• And finally, given the benefits mentioned above, air drying clothes is also better for the environment, encouraging a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

It’s important to note that even if you don’t have access to the outdoor area to dry the laundry, you can still make the most of the hot weather and good ventilation inside your home. Simply place the drying rack near an open window or in a well-ventilated area and let the warm air and fresh breeze work their magic.

Breeze to cool your home down

At the peak of summer temperatures, keeping your home cool and comfortable is absolutely essential to protect your health and prevent potential heat-related issues. While solely relying on fans or even air conditioning can be quite costly and energy-intensive, you can utilise natural methods to create a refreshing breeze inside your home.

Cross-ventilation

Cross-ventilation is a key to cooling your home down and letting the air flow from one room to another. By strategically opening the windows and doors on opposite sides of your home, you can help to create a nice breeze, carrying out hot, stagnant air.

Night cooling

At night, the temperatures usually drop-down, bringing a bit of refreshment after a hot summer day. You can take advantage of this natural cooling effect by opening windows in the evening and closing them during the day to trap the cooler air inside.

Fridge and freezer maintenance

The fridge freezer is one of the biggest energy consumers in your household. As it operates 24/7 to keep the food fresh and safe, any inefficiency can lead to a considerable impact on your electricity bills.

Over time, the coils and vents in the fridge tend to accumulate dust, dirt, and grime, obstructing the airflow and forcing the appliance to work harder to maintain the desired temperature. A fridge that strains to cool its contents consumes more electricity, ultimately leading to higher energy bills. Freezers can also become inefficient if frost and ice build up inside over time.

By giving your fridge and freezer proper care, you can avoid excessive monthly costs while also preventing potential damage to the appliances and helping to extend their life.

Give it a good clean

Keeping your fridge and freezer clean should be the first step to take when it comes to its maintenance. As well as helping it to work optimally and extending the appliance’s lifespan, regular cleaning is also crucial to ensure food safety and prevent odours. By following the few steps below, you’ll never have to worry about hygiene in your fridge again. 

1. Empty the contents: Start by emptying your fridge and freezer contents. You can also take this opportunity to check expiration dates and discard any spoiled or expired items. You can keep frozen items in a closed cool bag or box so they don’t defrost while you’re cleaning.
2. Remove shelves and drawers: Take out all removable shelves and drawers and wash them with a cloth or sponge, using soapy water.
3. Clean interior: Use the soapy mixture to wipe clean the interior of the fridge, including surfaces, doors and seal.
4. Defrosting freezer (at least once a year): Unplug the freezer and wait a couple of hours for the ice inside to soften or melt. To make sure all ice from the freezer is melted, you can use a plastic scraper to gently remove stubborn ice buildup. Never use anything sharp, as you might damage the surface of the freezer walls. Once you get rid of all the icy layers, clean the freezer’s interior with soapy water to eliminate any residue. Switch the freezer back on and wait a couple more hours before returning any still-frozen food to it. If any food has thawed out in the meantime, do not refreeze it.

Organise fridge storage

By keeping the contents of your fridge tidy and well-organised, you can optimise the space and improve the airflow. Whether you want to use additional baskets, boxes or containers, smart organising will help you use the cool temperature effectively while reducing the open door time and food waste.

Avoid placing hot food in the fridge to save electricity

Placing hot food in the fridge may seem like a small thing, but it can cause damage to your appliance and lead to increased energy consumption. Instead, place hot dishes aside and allow them to cool properly before placing them in the fridge.

Try to keep freezers around two thirds full, as much as possible

Freezers tend to work at optimal efficiency when around two thirds to three quarters full. Having an overfilled freezer means that it has to work a bit harder to keep things at the right temperature, and the same applies when it’s nearly empty.

Utilise fans

During the hottest summer days, even a fresh breeze and night cooling may not be enough to beat the scorching temperatures. If you’re looking for additional support to cool your home down while saving electricity in summer, the use of fans might be a good option.

While fans do consume some energy, they remain a far more cost-effective option compared to air conditioning systems. What’s more, the initial investment is relatively low, and with a longer life span and less maintenance required, they result in lower long-term costs.

By strategically placing the fan in your home, you can significantly reduce your cooling costs while staying comfortable during the summer months.

Unplug unused electronics

In today’s modern world, we use a number of electrical devices in our homes on a daily basis. However, many of these devices continue to draw power in standby mode, which can contribute to "phantom" energy consumption. Whether it’s a games console, device chargers, air-fryer or a printer, unplugging unused electronics can help you save on energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.

The best practice to remember to disconnect the devices is to create a routine, for example before going to bed or when leaving your home. By taking this small, yet important step, you can make a significant impact on reducing energy waste and lowering your electricity bills.

Avoid the use of heat-generating appliances

While you might not even realise it, running home appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers or dryers produce a significant amount of heat, meaning that your home gets even warmer when they are being used.. To keep your indoor temperatures comfortable, consider shifting their operating time to cooler hours of the day, either early morning or late night. 

Similarly, as temperatures rise, using energy-efficient cooking methods can help save money and keep your home cooler. To avoid adding excessive heat in your household, you can either opt for more salads and cold meals, or consider using smaller and less energy-intensive appliances like slow cookers.  Using an appliance such as a microwave does use electricity, but only for a short burst of time, compared to when using traditional ovens and stoves, and tends to add less heat to the room at the same time.