Energy saving tips for your home

Keeping bills under control is key to managing your finances. However, with the recent price hikes in energy nationwide, it’s more important than ever to take control of your usage.

Think about your  ‘energy efficiency’ when renting, as keeping bills under control is key to managing your finances.  It’s those small actions that you can take on an everyday basis that influences how much energy you use and how much money you save money at the same time!

Lighting

• Switch to LEDs – It’s simple and cost effective. You can now get LED spotlights that are bright enough to replace halogens, as well as regular energy saving bulbs (‘compact fluorescent lamps’ or CFLs). They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fittings. You could save £35 each year on bills.
• Turn off lights – Turn lights off whenever leaving a room, even if it’s just for a short amount of time. If you switch a light off for just a few seconds, you’ll save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again, regardless of the type of light. This will save you around £14 a year on your annual energy bills.
• Think about how many lights you have on at once – an easy one, but think of the number of times you’re sat in the lounge with the main light and several side lights also on!
• Use sensors and timers for external lights, so they only come on when needed.
• Use appropriate lightings for what you’re doing. i.e. a bright light for reading, a low light for watching TV

Kitchen & utility room

• You can save around £36 a year from your energy bill just by using your kitchen appliances more carefully:
• Stop leaving taps running! Use a bowl to wash up instead. Save £25 a year in energy bills.
• Boil only what you need. Filling a kettle up for what you need can save around £6 a year.
• Fully load your washing machine and wash at 30°C
• Cutback your washing machine use. Using one less load per week may save £5 a year on energy.
• Go Eco on the dishwasher, and fully load it.
• Limit use of a tumble dryer. Line dry your clothes, especially in the summer.
• Turn appliances off at the socket, when not in use, i.e kettles, microwaves etc
• Choose energy efficient appliances with an ‘A’, A++ or A+++ rating, where possible.

Living room

• Set your thermostat between 18°C to 21°. Turning your thermostat down one degree can save around £80.
• Turn your appliances off standby mode, you can save around £30 a year. Some satellite/digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in to record programmes, so check the instructions for these.

Bathroom

• Don’t leaving taps running when brushing your teeth.
• Cut your shower time by 1 minute -doing this each day will save up to £7 a year off your energy bills, per person. With a water meter this could save a further £12 off annual water and sewerage bills.
• Change your power-shower head – If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower), fit a water efficient shower head to reduce your hot water usage while retaining the sensation of a powerful shower. This can create savings of £185 per year for a family home with a water meter.
• Fit aerating tap inserts. As well as putting them on your shower head you can get these fitted onto taps. Check with you water company to see if these are provided free of charge.

Bedroom

• Use your radiator controls and set your heating to only come on in rooms where you need it. There’s little need to heat a spare room when it’s empty.
• Get the right tog. Invest in the right tog duvet, or blankets, for those colder nights – rather than cranking the thermostat up.

Keep the draughts out

• Keep those draughts at bay, especially near windows, doors, gaps around the floor and even the chimney. If you’re renting, speak to your landlord and see what measures they are responsible for. They may:
• Look at professional draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards.
• See what DIY draught proofing they can do, as it can be more cost effective.
• Install a chimney draught excluder, which could save around £15 a year.

Think smart

• More than 50% or our money spent on fuel bills goes on the heating and hot water.
• Use your room thermostat, a programmer and radiator valves. Efficient use of these could save £75 a year.
• Set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them
• Heat only the areas of your home that need heating
• Set the temperature for each area of your home.
• Try smart meters. Designed to help you see what you’re using, it makes you more aware and reduces energy waste. Government estimates that a display or monitor could typically help reduce a household’s electricity use by 2.8% and gas use by 2%.