Because central heating makes up a large component of our energy bills, and the increased daylight reduces our need for turning on lights, we tend to see our energy bills becoming lower in the summer months. However, it can be easy to forget that keeping cool can also cost us money…
The Cost of Keeping Cool
- According to Uswitch, a desktop electric fan costs around 63p a week to run, if you were to have it on for 9 hours each night. To make your fan more efficient, they recommend placing a bowl of ice or frozen water in front of your fan to circulate the cooler air.
- Although air conditioning units are not all that common in the UK, the demand for them is growing. According to Statistica, the air conditioning market in the UK is anticipated to experience volume growth of 2.84% in 2026. Uswitch research found that air conditioning units cost just over £14 a week to run, assuming they are switched on for 9 hours a day.
- You may be someone who finds you use more water in winter, due to taking hot baths and filling up hot water bottles. However, some of us do find we use more water in summer. This can be due to more frequent showers to cool off or get clean from suncream and sweat, but also from things like watering the plants or filling up paddling pools. These things can ramp up your water usage, so be sure to be mindful of how much water you’re using in the coming months. Not only does using water cost you money in terms of your water bill, but it can also raise your energy bills. For example, running a high-powered electric minutes for up to ten minutes can add around 28p each time to your electricity bill.
Top Tips for Reducing Your Summer Bills
- Try to keep your curtains closed and windows open during the daytimes where possible to stop your home from heating up too much from the sun. This will help to reduce how warm your home is, meaning you might need to use less energy to cool it down
- Remember that a hot water bottle isn’t restricted to hot water! You can put cold water inside of it to help keep you cool
- Take advantage of the natural light rather than relying on electricity
- Dry your washing outside instead of using the tumble drier
- Turn your appliances off standby
- If your shower takes a bit of time to heat up, why not collect the cold water in a bucket to use to water the plants rather than letting it go to waste? You can also collect any rainwater for the days when it’s drier or hotter by leaving water butts or buckets outside when rain is forecast
- Take shorter showers and turn off the shower when you’re shampooing your hair so that the water isn’t running unnecessarily
- Check all of the taps, toilets and hoses around your house regularly for any leaks – fixing a leak as soon as it arises can help reduce your water wastage and prevent your water bill from rising out of nowhere