With the rising cost of living taking its toll on everyone, it’s no surprise that many of us are looking for ways to save, especially after Christmas.
One of the ways that you can do this is by making some simple yet effective changes around the home, whether that’s to reduce energy bills or to save water.
Investing now in a range of sustainable homeware will pay dividends in the long run, helping you to save money and take on the rising energy prices and electricity bills, but perhaps more importantly, become more eco-friendly.
That’s why we’ve put together a selection of tips and products that will help you in your pursuit of sustainable living.
Reduce your reliance on the washing machine
As our bills rise, energy saving is more crucial than it has ever been.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, wet appliances such as our washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers account for 14% of a typical energy bill because of the power needed to heat the water.
That's why our Marlborough Bamboo Bath Mat makes the perfect option for stepping out on to after a hot shower.
The naturally occurring antimicrobial properties of bamboo creates a hypo-allergenic bath mat, and one that can repel the build up of mould and mildew.
This means that you won't have to machine wash your bath mat as often, in turn helping you to save energy.
Alternatively, check out Misona's Stone Bath Mat, made from naturally-occurring Diatomaceous Earth.
Not only does it have the wonderful benefits of being non-slip and absorbent, but there’s also no need to machine wash this bath mat, having the double benefit of energy saving and reducing water consumption.
Unlike more traditional microfibre and cotton bath mats that need to be machine washed and tumble dried separately, the only maintenance this eco-friendly bath mat requires is a wipe down with sandpaper from time to time.
Hop on the air fryer trend
Air fryers are becoming all the rage, and for good reason. That's because the demand for energy efficient appliances is on the rise as well all look to take on rising bills.
Not only do they produce tasty and delicious food, but they can help you cut your energy bills too.
Air fryers such are much smaller than your full-sized oven, meaning that they won’t take as long to heat up.
Couple that with the fact that they cook around 30% faster than traditional ovens, you’ll save time for when you’re cooking smaller meals and use up to 50% less energy.
And we’ve not even mentioned the health benefits. Using up to 99% less fat, investing in an air fryer makes sense for all of these reasons.
Don't rush to switch on the heating
Many of us will have been guilty of rushing to switch on the central heating as soon as we start to feel the chill.
And of course sometimes that can’t be avoided in the depths of winter.
But before you do decide to take the plunge and turn it on, make sure you have done everything possible to wrap up warm and keep your heating bills down.
Completely enveloping you, opt for a snuggly fleece hoodie, perfect for those cold winter nights.
Much of the heat from our body escapes from the head, neck and hands, so use a winter jumper’s hood and pouch pocket to keep these areas of the body as toasty as possible.
A thick, heavyweight blanket can also do the job if you’re lounging around on the sofa.
Our Banjara Traveller Throw is not only aesthetically pleasing with its beautiful space dyed design, but it is also extremely practical when the weather takes a turn.
With a thick feel of 520gsm and a generous size of 130 x 170cm (51 x 67”), this blanket is perfect for wrapping up warm on the sofa or chair as you relax in the evenings.
Reduce your hot water usage
38% of our household water consumption comes from showering and bathing.
That's why it may be worth considering fitting a low flow shower head in your bathroom or en suite.
These modern shower heads restrict the volume of water that they allow to flow through them, usually reducing it by as much as 40%.
This not only conserves water, but it cuts down on your monthly water bill, providing you with a significant saving over the course of a year.
Showers also take energy to heat the water, so opting to install a low flow shower head will have the added benefit of reducing your energy consumption too.
The average household also uses 30% of total water usage just on flushing the toilet.
That's why in our pursuit of an eco friendly bathroom, you could consider a dual flush toilet if you don't already have one.
A dual flush toilet can significantly reduce your water use by using just enough water to adequately flush your toilet.
A dual flush valve can help keep your water bills down by allowing you to choose whether to use a full flush or a half flush, usually 6 litres or 3 litres respectively.
One final & very simple bathroom tip is to make sure you never leave your tap running whilst you are brushing your teeth.
It is estimated that a running tap will waste up to 6 litres of water every minute, so think of the savings you could be making if you and the rest of the family simply turned the tap off whilst you brush your teeth every morning and night.
Energy saving and eco-friendly goes hand-in-hand
Whilst saving energy and reducing our household bills may be at the forefront of our minds, switching to sustainable homeware can also have positive environmental benefits.
From saving water and using less electricity, every small change that we make can have an impact.
That's why we hope that these energy saving ideas will set you on the way to becoming more energy efficient and ultimately help you save money.