UPDATED ON 3.1.2023

Now that we are unable to run our drop-in sessions or give access to our notice boards due to the current COVID restrictions we would like to remind you about ways you can save money in the home.

The energy saving tips below give you some tools and tactics that will help you save gas and electricity at home. We have included estimated figures from the Energy Saving Trust to illustrate the potential energy savings that you could make.

1. Turn off standby appliances

Turn appliances off at the plug to save an average of £30 a year.

Use plug sockets that can be turned on and off via your phone, to make sure you switch unused appliances off. You could use cheaper timer plugs to schedule turning appliances off.

2. Install a smart thermostat

Smart thermostats can make your heating more efficient by only warming the rooms you are using.

They learn how long it takes to heat your home, so they can have it at the right temperature at exactly the right time.

They can also be controlled by your phone, which means you will not have to come back to a cold home.

If you installed room thermostats, programmers, and thermostatic radiator valves, you could save around £75 a year.

3. Turn down your thermostat

Almost half the money spent on energy bills is absorbed by heating and hot water costs.

Turning your heating down by just one degree could save up to £80 a year.

4. Buy efficient appliances

Throwing out a perfectly good appliance will not save you much money, but when it is time to swap, going for one with a high energy-efficiency rating can be worth the investment.

An A+++ washing will typically use £65 less energy than an A+ one over an 11-year product lifespan.

A modern, efficient dishwasher will typically cost around £7 less a year to run compared to an older model.

An A+++ fridge freezer will save around £320 in energy bills over its lifetime compared to an A+ model.

5. Install a new boiler

You can save energy by upgrading your old boiler to a new A-rated condensing boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator controls.

Based on fuel prices in March 2019, a detached house upgrading from a G-rated boiler could save around £300 a year.

6. Wash clothes at a lower temperature

Washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees can help reduce your energy usage, and if you can cut out one wash cycle per week, you’ll clip £5 off your annual energy bill.

7. Be smarter about water

You can save around £25 a year by washing up in a bowl rather than using a running tap.

Buying a more efficient shower head can save you as much as £18 per person a year on energy bills, plus an additional amount if you have a water meter.

If you fit a shower timer in your bathroom, you could save up to £7 per person each year by cutting just one minute off every shower.

8. Invest in double glazing

Double glazing insulates your home from the cold and helps reduce your heating bill, as well as keeping the noise out.

If your semi-detached home is entirely single glazed, you could save as much as £110 a year by installing A-rated double glazing.

9. Draught-proof your property

A cold draught can cause your home to lose heat, which makes it more tempting to turn the heating up. Draught excluders or draught-proofing kits are a good way to prevent this.

Seal cracks in floors and skirting boards, line your letterbox and block an unused chimney to reduce your heating bills by up to £35 a year.

If you do not have double glazing, you can buy plastic lining for your windows to save energy and keep more heat in.

10. Insulate the roof

Insulating your roof can stop heat escaping from your home ? however the process can be complicated so it may be best to employ an expert to do this.

While insulating your loft can cost several hundreds of pounds, it can also shave around £135 off your energy bills each year if you live in a typical semi-detached house.

11. Monitor your usage

Keeping a watchful eye on your consumption levels can help you decide if, and when you have to change the way you use energy.

Installing a Smart Meter lets you track your consumption with accurate and real time information. Learn more about how they work with our guide to Smart Meters.

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