Southsea firm shares energy-saving advice – including one surprisingly common household appliance that could save you money

A BUILDING company has shared some tips on how to save on energy bills over the winter months.

Southsea-based building and construction firm, QBuild, is offering people advice on how to cut down on their energy use to save money as the weather gets colder.

Founder and director, Richard Cano is hoping to help households to save on their outgoings as energy bills rise across the UK.

He said: ‘People are going to struggle over the winter as bills rise and some people will have to choose between heating and eating. We deal every day with customers who are looking to improve their home in ways that will reduce the amount they’re spending on gas and electricity.

‘The first thing people should look at is their boiler. Just a simple service can improve your consumption and if needed, a replacement isn’t as expensive as people think as it will most definitely save you money in the long run. The same goes for windows and insulation – if you can afford to get these improved if necessary then it will definitely pay you back in the long run. If you don’t have the funds straight away, we offer a range of finance options to help people out.

‘You can also get an expert out to come and look at your radiators – are they working properly? Do they need to be bled and the system flushed properly? These things are overlooked but will often mean the house is heated more efficiently with properly working radiators.’

According to Richard, who founded QBuild in 2018, people often overlook everyday household appliances that could save them money without them realising.

He said: ‘There are also more low-cost options and even some things that people can do without realising that it’ll save them money. The one that surprises most people is the air fryer, which has shot up in popularity thanks to social media sites like TikTok. Lots of people are buying them to save time as they are faster than the oven, as well as to recreate viral recipes. But people don’t realise that they use a fraction of the energy that they would be using if they were to cook food in the oven.

‘Along the theme of household appliances, there are other affordable items people can utilise, such as using heated clothes horses instead of a tumble-drier.’

According to research by Utilita, the cost to run air fryers is, on average, £55.71 per year, while electric cookers run at an average cost of £335.57 per year.

Hometree reported that ovens cost more than three times more to run for 20 minutes than air fryers do for the same time period.

Richard said: ‘You can pick up affordable ones for as little as £30, so I’d really suggest investing in one and lowering your oven use.’

Richard said his team are willing to arrange an EPC – a review of a home’s energy efficiency – for anyone who is worried.

He said: ‘Anyone can audit their own homes, checking whether items that are on standby could be switched off at the socket, checking how efficient their lightbulbs are and, if necessary, switching to more efficient ones. If anyone would like a professional to do this for them, we’re more than happy to arrange an EPC, which is an affordable energy audit.’