Here are some energy saving tips to help lower your bills and help the environment.
- Turn of all your electrical appliances, such as your TV, DVD/video players and computer game consoles when they’re not in use. Standby modes use almost the same amount of electricity as when the appliance is turned on, so switch it of at the plug. You can buy single switch-off points that all your appliances plug into, giving you just a single switch to turn off.
- Don’t leave mobile phone and laptop chargers plugged in when they’re not in use. Chargers use almost the same amount of energy as normal when they are plugged in but not in use. Use your laptop battery when it is charged, this saves energy and increases the life of your battery.
- When replacing old electrical equipment look for the energy saving symbols.
- Replace your current bulbs with energy saving bulbs. They last about 10 times as long and are 80% more efficient than standard bulbs. Not only does this reduce the energy used but it also means you’re creating less rubbish.
- Install an electricity usage monitor (like the Owl Wireless Electricity Meter) to monitor your electricity use. This will help you see if the changes you are making are having an effect on your electricity usage and will encourage you to continue.
- Turn down temperature on your washing machine to 30°C and use the quick wash/economy feature. Modern washing powders work as effectively at lower temperatures and this saves a huge amount of energy. Try not to do a wash for just a few items of clothing, only do washing when you’ve got a full load to do. This also applies to dishwashers, modern washing products are effective at low temperatures.
- Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need to use when making hot drinks, a full kettle takes much more power to boil than a half-full kettle.
- Lime scale build-up in hard water areas lowers the heating efficiency of a kettle, soak the element in vinegar when it gets furry to keep it clear and efficient.
- Don’t tumble dry your clothing if at all possible, dry clothing outside or clothes rails instead, opening a window just a little to allow the moisture to escape.
- Defrosting your fridge and freezer regularly will help keep them efficient. If you find that your freezer frosts up quickly then there may be a leak in the door seal, replace the seal to be sure as it takes more energy to cool a fridge that has an air leak. Avoid putting your fridge and freezer next to an oven, it’ll just need more power to cool!
- Cover pots and pans when you’re cooking, the water will boil quicker so you can save energy and eat earlier!
- Don’t put hot food in the fridge or freezer. The appliance has to work harder to cool the food and it is unhygienic (it can encourage a build up of bacteria on the food).
- Try to use microwaves and steamers to cook where possible, they use a lot less energy than ovens and gas hobs.
- Don’t set your water thermostat to any higher than 60°C, usually 55°C is perfectly fine to heat your water supply.
- Insulate your loft and walls, most of the heat in your home is lost through the roof so insulating your loft is a great way of keeping your home warm and saving energy.
- If you’re considering installing new radiators, be careful where you put them. Don’t position them near windows as the heat escapes straight out which is a huge waste of energy.
- Don’t leave curtains hanging over radiators as it channels the heat straight to the windows where it easily escapes.
- Don’t put your clothes on radiators as it stops the heat getting into the room, use a clothes rail or clothe-hanging rack in front of the radiator instead. Then you heat the room and dry your clothes at the same time!
- Install draft excluders on any letterboxes and doors that you have in the house to cut out draughts and save heating energy.
- Installing double glazing is an excellent way of reducing your heating bill, and it also cuts down outside noise so you get 2 benefits for the price of 1!
- Boilers over 10 years old are far less efficient than modern gas boilers so if you’re looking to really save energy then a new energy efficient boiler is a fantastic step to take.
- Turning down your thermostat by just 1°C can save your heating bill 10%
- Draw your curtains at night to help insulate the room, and drawing curtains or blinds in the summer helps to reduce the temperature in a room which is much better than using air conditioning.
- Set your thermostat timer so that the central heating is switched off when you are out of the house and turns on once you return. This way you’re not heating an empty house.
- Adding a Hippo water saver to your toilet cistern can save 3 litres of water per flush, this is particularly effective on older toilets with larger cisterns.
- Don’t leave taps dripping, it’s an obvious point but you’d be surprised how much water is wasted this way.
- Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth, a constantly running tap uses lots of water which you won’t even be using.
- When using your washing machines, only use the quick wash/economy setting to save water.
- Don’t use dishwashers if you can avoid it, half filled dishwashers use the same amount of water as full dishwashers so they are a big waste of water.
- Taking showers uses less than half the water of a bath so try to shower where possible. This doesn’t apply to power showers, these can often use the same or more amount of water as a bath!!
