With the cost of living on the rise, there's never been a better time to cut your energy bills and be kind to the planet. We've put together some tips to help you and your family reduce your energy useinevery room of your home.
Home heating -top tips to cut your heating bills
Over half of our energy bills spend goes on heating and hot water. It's really important to look at our home heating habits and see if there are small changes we can make to reduce our heating bill.
- Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could save you up to £145a year. Set a timer on your thermostat for your heating to come on only when you need it.
- Turn the heating flowtemperature down. Without lowering thetemperature of your home,turning the flow temperature down on your combi boilerfrom80℃ to60℃ you cansave up to £95.22 per year(1). This isn't suitable for all systems, so findout more withourflow temperatureguide.
- Don't heat empty rooms. Using individual radiator valves means you can reduce orturn off radiators in unused rooms if you have any. Doing this would cut 4.5% off the typical UK household's gas usage, savingup to £50a year. Try to keep doors between adjoining rooms shut tostop the heat from escaping.
- Run your heating only when you're at home.Even using your central heating for an hour less each day adds up to big savings over time.
- Draught proofing. By blocking any gaps where heat can escape and cold air can get in, you'll prevent heat loss and keep your home warm. There are a number of places where you can prevent draught.Draught-proofing your chimney alone could save you up to £90 a year.
- Bleed your radiators. Trapped air can make your radiators less efficient, so they'll be slower to heat up. If you feel confident doing it yourself,read our guide on how to bleed your radiators.
- Choose thermal curtains and keep the heat in. Investing in thermal lined curtains and ensuring they're closed in the evening can stop heat loss 27% and save an average home up to £291 a year on energy bills.
- Heat people, not the room: Rather than putting the thermostat upfurther, you could try a heatedelectric blanket to keep you snug. Theytypically costbetween £25-50 to purchase but use as little as3p an hour of electricity even on the highest setting.
Invest in a hot water cylinder jacket. If you have a hot water tank investing in a jacket could save you up to £50 a year as the jacket reduces the amount of heat the cylinder loses and keeps water hot for longer, making them more efficient and cheaper to use.
If your budget allows, do check whether you could benefit from extra measures that would keep your home warm more efficiently, saving on your energy bills in the long term:
- Insulation- keep the warmth in. Did you know that only7.5%of UK homes have an insulation age of 2002 or younger? This meansahuge number of housesare not meeting the current insulation regulations.
- Boiler cover- includes boiler efficiency checks
- Boiler replacement- new boilers are much more efficient
Kitchen - reduce your energy use even when cooking and washing up
Stop the frost. Defrost yourfridge freezer regularly to prevent it from using more energy than needed.
Clean behind your fridge and freezer. Dusty condensing coils (used to cool and condense)can trap air and create heat - not what you want for your fridge. Keep them clean, and they'll stay cool, using less energy.
Use smaller pans. The smaller your pan, the less heat you'll need. Using the right size pan for your meal means less energy wasted.
Keep saucepan lids on. Your food will heat up faster, which means you could save 124kW of electricity a year.
Fill the dishwasher before each cycle. Make sure your dishwasher is full and set to an economy setting.Using your dishwasher for one less cycle per weekfor a year could save you £13.
Only boil the water you need. Overfilling the kettle wastes water, money and time. Instead, only boil as much water as you need. This can save up to 83kW of electricity a year.
Bathroom– energy-saving ideas for your bathroom
Did you know that about 12% of a typical gas-heated home's energy bill is from heating the water for showers, baths and water from the hot tap?
Here are some quick ways to save water and money on your energy bills
- Consider a water meter.Depending on your water provider and water usage, you could save with a water meter. Find out who supplies your water and contact them to find out more.
- Shower rather than a bath.Swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower will reduce the amount of hot water you use, andyou could save up to £40per year.
- Switch to an energy-efficient showerhead. An energy-efficient shower head could reduce the amount of water you use even further and save you up to £20 per year. When you're using less water, you need less energy to heat it.
Good to know!
You could arrange a water-saving home visit. Some water companies offer in-home consultations about your water usage and can give you tips on using less water. They may also offer you water-saving devices. Get in touch with your water company to find out more.
Water UK estimates that a dripping tap wastes at least 5,500 litres of water a year, so fix drips and leaks as soon as they happen.
According to Energy Savings Trust, a 4-person household could save up to £38 on their gas bills and around £53 on their metered water bill each year with a more efficient, low-flow showerhead.
Home lighting and electronics - keep the lights on for less
- Change your light bulbs. Fitting LED bulbs is a great way to reduce energy use at home. Energy Saving Trust estimates it'd cost an average home around £100 to replace all its bulbs but cost £35 less a year in energy.
- Switch off the lights.Every timeyou leave a room, switch the lights off. This could save you about £20 a year.
- Invest in A-rated appliances. If you're in the market for new home electricals,be sure to check the energy rating. The better the rating, the more efficient the appliance, so the more you'll save in the long term. Replacing very old fridges or freezers can have a quick payback time with energy savings.
- Install a smart thermostat and heating controls. Smart thermostats and heating controls allow you to manage your energy consumption more effectively and conveniently. You'll be able to adjust your temperature settings when you’re not at home through a smartphone. Installing this could save you up to £50 per year.
Good to know!
According to GOV.UKyou could save up to £50 a year by turning appliances off at the wallDon't pay more– Check if your energy tariff is the best for you
Reviewing your energy tariff regularly could also save you money. If you're not ready to switch your tariff because of the high energy prices, leave us your email address, and we'll let you know when prices come down.
A smart meter could help you save
It's important now, more than ever, to stay in control of your energy. With a smart meter, you'll easily be able to track your energy usage and see where you can save so that you canlower your bills and your carbon footprint.
Smart benefits include:
- Upgrade your meter atno extra cost
- You're in control - you cansee the cost of your energy
- Receive more accurate bills
- If you use cards or keys, you cantop up online
Other ways toreduceenergy at home
There are lots of other ways you can reduce energy at home and help save the planetby being more energy-conscious. Do you really need aportable air conditioning unit, for example? They use a lot of energy and have a high cost to run.
Find out more about what makes an energy-efficient home andget more energy efficiency tips in our Energywise blog.
You can also head over to the GOV.UK website for more information on conserving energy in your home.
