As new parents, you want to save money anywhere you can, and one of the first thought for many is about how to reduce your energy bills. Whether it’s the middle of winter or the start of spring, there are some quick and easy ways to reduce your energy bills as parents without compromising your baby’s comfort.
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Quick Ways To Reduce Your Energy Bills As Parents In The Short Term
With a new baby in tow, you’ll be looking for easy things you can do now to save some cash. So read on for our heating, laundry, meal, bedtime and bathroom tips.
Heating Hacks: How Can We Reduce Our Energy Bills In the Short Term As New Parents?
1. Be Heating-Wise
Move your thermostat into the room you spend the most time in with your baby. Turn your radiators off in rooms you don’t use regularly and shut the door to retain any existing heat.
2. Keep Baby Warm – But Not Too Warm (Use A Room Thermometer)
16-20 degrees is the recommended and safest temperature for the room your baby is sleeping in. Remember NHS safety advice is to sleep in the same room as your baby, both day and night, and to use a lightweight sleeping bag for your baby or sheet and/or lightweight blanket (cellular, not fleecy). This is because babies can’t regulate their own body temperature, so can easily overheat with too many thick blankets. Also remove any outdoor clothing or hats when they are indoors.
If your baby is in a sleeping bag and feels cold, add an extra layer of clothing like a vest rather than a blanket. If you’re using sheets and/or blankets, you can add an extra layer of clothing or extra lightweight blanket. Check out more advice from The Lullaby Trust here about safer sleep in winter. Your baby needs to be warm, but not overheated.
3. Layer Yourself Up (Quick Way To Reduce Energy Bills As A Parent)
Feeding a baby involves a lot of sitting around. Whether you’re bottle or breastfeeding, it’s worth having extra jumpers, dressing gowns or throws for you (baby will get warm from your body heat). Also wear an extra pair of socks, aim for more woolly clothing and use a microwaveable wheat bag. Heat the person, not the room – just don’t be tempted to add too many layers to your baby, as this may lead to overheating.
Just bear in mind it’s better to aim for a minimum room temperature of 18 degrees if you have elderly family members around or those with health conditions.
4. Heat More Often, Not Higher
If you’re having a baby during the winter months, you may have to think about putting the heating on more regularly to keep your house at 16-20 degrees. However, having warm clothing to hand for you will help you from whacking the heating up too high, particularly during the middle of the night. Wheat warmers that you can heat up in the microwave can be good if you feel the chill. Just keep them away from baby, as they can feel really hot!
Again, remember don’t be tempted to overheat your baby. Aim for 16-20 degrees room temperature where they are sleeping. Safer for them to be cooler than swaddled and too hot. You can always add extra clothing if they’re feeling chilly.
5. Exclude Draughts
Use a draught excluder on front doors, or rooms with doors which need extra insulation. You can also add self-adhesive insulation strips on ill-fitting doors. How about adding a curtain rail above doors and thick curtains? Extra rugs can also add extra warmth to cold or hard floors. You’ll be thankful for this when you’re up feeding in the night!
6. Free Up Your Radiators
It can be tempting to use your radiators to dry/air clothes, but if you leave your radiators ‘free’, this will help more heat to radiate into your room. Also move large furniture and baby equipment away from radiators so they have a clear space in front of them (never put a cot directly next to a radiator anyway).
7. Revamp Your Insulation
Pop up into the loft and make sure your insulation is evenly spread. Push it into the corners where possible. Maybe consider getting an extra layer of insulation.
8. Switch Off Appliances
Switch off lights and appliances so they’re not on standby, including baby devices like sterilisers and prep machines.
9. Check Your Energy Deal
It’s easy to check whether you’re getting the best energy deal for you and your household using comparison sites like Uswitch.
10. Share The Heat
Get together with friends and family in someone’s home, visit a library or other ‘warm space’, or sign up for a regular baby class or group. If you’re out of your home for a few hours every day, you can share heating costs with others by doing this.
Laundry Hacks: How Can I Wash Baby Clothes While I Reduce Energy Bills As A New Parent?
11. Wash On Full
Save your loads up so you run the washing machine on full. Don’t be afraid to mix in adult clothes, sheets and towels in with baby items (as they’re really small).
12. Save Your Loads
It’s tempting to throw in soiled/dirty baby clothes immediately to wash: what you can do is save them up by storing them in a bucket (you can get some good ‘nappy buckets’ to dry pail them) until you have enough to make up a wash. Just don’t leave them longer than three days. If they’re really dirty or it’s a poonami situation, you can always wash or rinse the clothes on a short, hot setting first, then add other laundry to make it up to a full, cooler wash at 30 or 40 degrees.
13. Wash Small
Consider hand washing very small items if they just need a quick refresh, and/or invest in some proper bibs too to protect baby clothes and sleepsuits. Try to wash at 30 degrees where possible.
14. Ditch The Dryer
If you want to save energy on the tumble dryer and reduce your energy bills as parents, the best way to do this is not use the dryer at all. Instead, put the washing machine on in the early morning (face it, you’re probably going to be up in the early hours anyway) or if you have a timer, set it to come on first thing.Then you can make the most of daylight to hang your washing outside and give it a blow around.
Invest in some large drying racks and put them in the warmer areas of the house like near a boiler or airing cupboard, or well-ventilated airy room. Running a dehumidifier is definitely cheaper than putting on the heating.
If the washing really isn’t going to dry, put your tumble dryer on but on a low setting – maybe as a last resort.
How Can I Wash Nappies Efficiently?
If the nappies are soiled but your child is in good health, did you know that you can actually wash nappies at 40 degrees? However, If your child has a virus or a stomach bug, or has just had their vaccinations, be sure to wash the nappies at 60 degrees to thoroughly sanitise them. Always wash nappies on a minimum 2-hour cycle, whatever temperature you are using.
Meal Hacks: How Can I Save Money On Cooking Bills As A Family?
15. Go For Larger Quantities
Batch-cook meals and use a microwave or air fryer rather than oven to reheat. Microwaves are the cheapest option. See here for more warming and batch-cooking ideas of basics like bolognese sauces.
16. Be Kettle-Savvy
Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle. A measuring jug to hand next to the kettle can be useful as you can put in exactly the right amount of water for a cup of tea or baby bottle.
Bedroom And Nursery Hacks: How Can I Save Money On Heating Sleeping Areas?
17. Curtain-Up
Invest in a black-out blind and thicker curtains. Open these as soon as your baby is awake to make the most of the daylight. The room will get some heat from the sun. Shut the blinds and curtains as soon as the sun begins to set to retain the heat.
18. Control Temperature
Add a baby room thermometer so you can try and maintain the bedroom room temperature at 16-20 degrees. If you get a Groegg, this acts as a night light as well as a thermometer, so you should save a bit on extra lighting.
Bathtime Basics: How Can I Save Money On Heating Water?
19. Quicken Baby Baths
If you have a baby bath, it won’t take much water to get it to the recommended depth of 8-10 cm. 37 degrees (lukewarm) is the safest and most comfortable temperature for them. But use your elbow dipped in the water to check the temperature – it shouldn’t feel too hot or too cold. Mix the bathwater thoroughly with your hand to avoid any hot or cold areas.
Babies don’t actually need bathing everyday (aim for 2-3 times a week), but if they need a freshen up after a dirty nappy, you can top and tail them using cotton wool and some warm water. Top and tail baths have separate compartments for water which you use for their head, and that for their bottoms. This will also save on water and heating costs.
20. Shorten Showers
Now you have a newborn, you will probably be having shorter showers anyway. If not, try a shower timer. You can set these to a few minutes so that you know how long you’ve been in the shower. If you are recovering postpartum and need to take some ‘sitz’ baths, make these shallow.
How Can I Invest In Some Longer-Term Energy-Saving Hacks As A New Parent?
Here are a few longer-term things to consider if you want to invest in saving money on energy into the future.
- Water-Saving Shower Heads – a low-flow, water-saving or aerating showerhead can reduce the water flow rate (usually around 4 litres per minute with regular shower heads), thus saving energy and money.
- Solar Panels – solar panels generate your own electricity which can be stored in batteries in your loft, and also sold back to energy companies in warmer months when you’re using less electricity.
- Radiator-reflecting panels – radiator reflector panels can help reflect heat back into the room so it’s not lost through uninsulated external walls.
- Underfloor Heating – with underfloor heating in key areas like bathrooms and downstairs, this can help save on putting the heating on so frequently.
- Thermal Imaging Survey – there are many companies now who offer thermal imaging surveys. These help identify cold patches around your home, for example near doors and windows and on the ceiling where loft insulation could be better spread out.
- Replace Your Boiler – replacing your boiler as and when you have the funds to do so can reap financial benefits in the long run.
Also check Martin Lewis for more energy-saving tips.
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