Black Friday is a huge sale that happens at the end of November – it’s the Friday after Thanksgiving (an American national holiday) but typically lasts the whole weekend until ‘Cyber Monday’. This shopping craze has now spread around the world and is well established for pre-Christmas bargains.
Grab the latest gadgets, fashion, homewares… whatever takes your fancy – but you can also keep your eyes peeled for ways to make your home more energy-efficient.
Top tip? Look up what you might need beforehand. Keep an eye on the prices in the lead-up to Black Friday so you definitely know you’re getting a great deal. Some places are known to put the price up, then add a big discount to make it look like you’re saving more.
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances
Smart thermostats for smart savings
Smart thermostats are great for optimising how and when you heat your home. Look out for deals on cosy tech from brands like Hive and Nest, but there’s lots to choose from.
With a smart thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature remotely, set heating schedules, and monitor how much energy you use. This level of control can lead to substantial energy savings.
Weatherproofing materials
Look out for ways to stop drafts around doors and windows, as well as ways to stop heat escaping through walls. Things like weather stripping, draft stoppers, and insulation. These cost-effective solutions can significantly reduce drafts and heat loss, allowing you to stay warm without relying heavily on heating.
LED lighting for bright savings
During Black Friday, you can find great deals on energy-efficient LED light bulbs. LED bulbs not only use significantly less energy but also last vastly longer – years instead of months, reducing your need for replacements.
Switching to LED lighting is a simple yet effective way to cut down on your energy costs. The Energy Saving Trust has lots of tips on how to reduce your lighting bill.
New appliances
If you’re looking to replace old appliances – and you’ve had yours for a while – newer versions are likely to be far more energy-efficient. On Black Friday, energy-efficient appliances like dishwashers, fridges, slow cookers, air fryers and washing machines are some of the most common discounts you’ll see.
Black Friday energy bill savings
Utility Warehouse (UW) is a utilities company who can bundle lots of home services together – energy, broadband, phone, mobile and insurance – the more you take, the more you save.
It’s worth taking a look to see how they compare to your current provider, especially as it also means you just get one main bill which makes managing your budget much simpler.
Look out for the Fixed Saver 9 tariff which is currently one of the cheapest fixed energy tariffs available. To get the deal, you need to switch your energy bills to UW, as well as two other services – broadband, mobile or insurance.
UW has full fibre broadband where it’s available, and their mobile network runs off EE’s infrastructure.
Cash in on Cashback Cards
One other perk of the service from UW is the UW Cashback Card. It’s a prepaid debit card that gives you 1% cashback on all purchases, and up to 10% cashback with the retailers they partner with. You can combine this with any Black Friday deals you fancy, saving even more money.
