There are a number of common sense things you can do, which cumulatively will make a difference. The Energy Saving Trust suggests that draught proofing gaps is the thing that will make the biggest difference over a year.
The BBC gives 6 suggestions on how to save energy
1. Use an air fryer or microwave instead of an oven: oven can be an inefficient way of cooking as they involve heating a relatively large space. Using a microwave, pressure cooker or air fryer instead could save money. Microwaves usually save energy as they cook faster. For example, a baked potato could take 90 minutes in an oven, 45 minutes in an air fryer and 10 minutes in a microwave.
2. Switch to LED lightbulbs: Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household’s energy consumption, according to The Energy Saving Trust. Switching to LED bulbs can make a big difference. A household using a dozen 40W incandescent or halogen bulbs for four hours a day could spend about £238 per year, Sust-it estimates. LED equivalents would cost £41.70 – a saving of £196.30 a year. LED bulbs can cost more, but have a longer lifespan and will save money over time.
3. Take control of your central heating: Get your boiler services and adjust it flow temperature – an engineer can make energy saving adjustments, such as reducing your boiler’s flow temperature, that can cut your bills. Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature (often 18 to 21C). Turning your thermostat down just one degree could cut bills by about £145 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. This is based on a semi-detached house with the heating on between 7am-9am and 4pm-11pm on week days and between 7am-11pm at weekends. In smaller homes, like a terraced house or a flat, the savings will be lower. You can also turn the heating off in rooms you’re not using.
It is important to make sure your boiler is not running 24 hours a day as this can have a massive impact on your bills. Set up a heating schedule from the boiler of thermostat so the heating will be off while you are out at work all day/night or can be set to a lower temperature while you are tucked up in bed.
Location of radiators is vital – if located under a window ensure you have appropriately fitted curtains to help reduce heat escaping. Avoid blocking radiators with furniture .
Installing reflective foil behind your radiators also will help to reduce the amount of heat that is absorbed and lost through the walls of your home.
Check your radiators for cold spots – reduce the flow first so they are not too hot to touch, then feel around the radiator, particularly along the top if you can feel cooler/cold spots then you must bleed the air out of the radiator. Bleeding radiators to remove trapped air and moving furniture away from them helps warms air flow more easily around a room. Ask a plumber to install thermostatic radiator valves where you can. This means you’re only heating the rooms you are actually using rather than your whole house. You might want to keep your bedroom cooler than your living room, for example.
4. Insulate and draught-proof your home: if your home is poorly insulated it will lose heat more easily and be harder to keep warm. Insulation and draught-proofing – to stop heat escaping around doors and windows – helps trap heat. Get a draught excluder for any doors that lead to the outside, these can be purchased or are easily home made from old clothing, you could also think about fitting one around your letter box. For more tips on draughts see full document. DIY options like self-adhesive strips for window gaps and heavy curtains can also save you money. It’s not necessarily going to be a huge cost saving, but what it will do is make your home feel more comfortable at a lower temperature. Most heat is lost through the roof, so loft insulation should be a priority. For renters, installing insulation may not be an option as landlords are responsible for major improvements. However, landlords can be fined for renting properties which don’t meet minimum energy efficiency standards. Professional draught-proofing might cost about £225, the Energy Saving Trust says. However, it can save about £125 a year – based on a typical semi-detached home.
5. Make better use of appliances: washing machines and tumble dryers can be energy hungry, according to Which? energy editor Emily Seymour. But there are ways to use them efficiently, she says. Use any eco settings and turn your machine down – particularly if clothes aren’t that dirty. Washing clothes at 30 C and using one less cycle a week could save £28 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. If you can, dry clothes outside instead of in a tumble dryer. It will cost at least £36 a year to run an energy efficient dryer from October, based on average usage, or as much as £159 for an inefficient models, Sust-it says. Not using an inefficient dryer for four months during the summer could save up to £70 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust. Clean your tumble dryer and fridge’s filters to keep them running efficiently.
When drying clothes, you should avoid positioning the clothes directly onto the radiator and use an airer or separate dryer where possible.
Only use your dishwasher when you have a full load (as a half load uses the same amount of energy). If possible, stop the dishwasher’s cycle when it gets to the drying stage, open it up, and let the load dry naturally.
Ensure that devices around the home are properly turned off when not is use, do not leave things such as TVs or computers on stand-by/idle mode as these will continue to consume energy at a steady rate.
6. Take shorter showers (or shower at work!): A typical household with gas heating will see about 12% of its energy bill used to heat water for showers, baths and taps, the Energy Saving Trust says. However, if you have a power shower the saving could be less as you’ll use more hot water. Meanwhile, cutting your shower time from eight to four minutes could save £70 a year. This is based on five showers a week.
There are support and grants available for various types of energy efficiency upgrades to your property. See also the information on the Energy Advice page and the Energy specific benefits page.
