Tips for saving energy
- Get to know your heating controls – turning it down by just one degree could save you £145 a year
- Set thermostats/ boiler flow on hot water tanks to between 55- 60ºC or 140ºF – the thermostat is about a quarter to a third of the way up a hot water cylinder. This will save approx. £65 a year
- Set thermostats/ boiler flow for those with a combi boiler to between 50- 55 ºC. This will save up to £65 a year
- Cut your shower time – Shower time to 4 minutes could save the average household £60 a year.
- Swap 1 bath a week for a shower – could save you £9 a year
- Draft proof Gaps – check for draughts around windows and doors and blocking cracks that let cold air in and warm air out. Saves around £80 a year
- Turn lights off when leaving a room – save around £7 a year
- Don’t leave appliances on standby – also remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones to charge unnecessarily. Saves around £45 a year
- Fill up the washing machine, one full load uses less energy and water than two half loads. Reducing use by one run a week could save £12 a year.
- Wash at 30 – save around £24 a year.
- Fill your dishwasher – one full load uses less energy and water than two half loads. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run a week could save £12 a year
- Avoid overfilling the kettle – only boil as much water as you need. Saves around £29 a year.
- Go LED with light bulbs – Switching to LED Light bulbs can save between £4 and £10 per bulb a year
- If you have a tumble Dryer – Consider not using it as much. If you dry in a well ventilated room or outside in warmer weather rather than using a tumble dryer could save up to £50 a year.
- Set heating and hot water to run only when it’s needed – for example, from 30 minutes before getting up in the morning to 30 minutes before leaving the house.
- Fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off– a dripping hot water tap can waste enough energy in a single week to half fill a bath with hot water.
- Close curtains– do this at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
- Do a home energy check to find energy savings of up to £250 a year – find out more on the Simple Energy Advice website.
The following sites give more information on low or no cost measures to reduce energy use:
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/