How to Save Money This Christmas

Saving money and Christmas don't go exactly hand in hand with each other.

However, Christmas doesn't have to be a huge big spending frenzy and it is possible to save money particularly on your energy bill this Christmas.

Fulcher Edwards electricians show you how you can save money on electricity and other energy in your home without going without – and your guests will never even know!

Don't get us wrong, we're the first in the queue for Christmas fun and parties and after a year of working hard helping our lovely customers with their electrical needs, we certainly know how to enjoy Christmas.

Here we have some handy tips on how to save energy in your home this Christmas – oh and we might even have some handy present tips for those last minute stocking fillers – ho ho ho!

Most of us have a houseful of guests at some point over the festive season – so our tips show you how to take advantage of the extra heat created by cooking simply by using the free body heat generated by your guests!

Tip 1: We say this often because it really is an easy low cost way to save a packet on your electricity bill. If you don't already have energy saving light bulbs in your home, you're missing a trick! Energy saving light bulbs are no longer bulky spirals and come in a whole range of sizes including the same shape as a regular incandescent light bulb. If you are thinking of adding a few festive lights outside, perhaps to light the way to your front door, you will be pleased to know that there is a growing range of solar powered Christmas lights which will cost you nothing to run and can charge up even in the smallest amount of sunlight we get at this time of year.

Tip 2: If you are buying electrical appliances and gadgets for loved ones this Christmas, did you know that many are now Energy A rated? Look out for the label on electrical items which show you how energy efficient they are. You need to be looking for Energy A as a minimum (there are also now A+ A++ and even A+++) this will mean that not only is the electrical item energy efficient it will also cost less to run.

Tip 3: Looking for a great idea for stocking fillers? The shops are filled with tacky presents which will either get lost or broken in no time, so why not give a Eco gift – its something different and will save money! How about buying Eco versions of hair dryers, coffee machines and kettles? Who wouldn't love a gift like that which is not costing them a small fortune every time they plug them in! There are also solar versions of mobile phone and laptop chargers, garden lights, toys and radios which require only the sun to power them – we also came across a brilliant watch that is powered by solar alone – no more dead batteries and over sleeping! For camping and outdoor enthusiasts we have discovered wind up torches and radios as well as water powered digital clocks. For techie types how about an instant sleep button for a PC and peripherals or an energy meter that tells them how much energy they use in their home?

Tip 4: With all the extra guests you may well have over Christmas, its a great time to turn your central heating down a couple of degrees. No one will notice – the heat from the cooking the turkey as well as the additional body heat will more than compensate for the heat reduction. You will certainly notice the difference on your energy bill though in the New Year!

Tip 5: For the eco conscious amongst us, there are other ways of saving energy when cooking the all important Christmas dinner. Turn off the ring before your vegetables have finished cooking. The heat from the water and the steam if the pan is covered will keep the vegetables hot for some time and is a great way of finishing them off completely free! Steaming is also a great way of healthy cooking and it uses less water and keeps the essential vitamins and nutrients within the food.

We hope these energy tips come in handy and we wish all our customers old and new a Very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!

Source: http://local.stv.tv/cambuslang/news/206312-you-dont-have-to-be-scrooge-to-save-energy-this-christmas/