Energy-saving tips

There are many small changes you can make in your everyday lives that will, over time, help you reduce your energy bills. As well as saving you money, you’ll also be helping to protect the environment. Have a read through these low-cost ideas to get started.

Saving energy in the kitchen

1. Selecting the right appliances: check the appliance’s energy label before you purchase a new one for your home. You may compare the energy consumption of one appliance to others by looking at its energy label. This might assist you in locating appliances that consume the least energy
2. Selecting the right size for your appliances: the energy efficiency of home appliances has improved over the years, with the most efficient having an energy rating of A (or A+++ for older scale). Choosing the right size for your appliances will ensure you benefit from energy savings. If all you store in your fridge or freezer is a few items, then consider getting a smaller size
3. Don’t leave appliances on standby: when left on standby, your electric oven, dishwasher, microwave, washer, and tumble dryer will all consume electricity. To save electricity, try to develop the habit of turning them off at the outlet. You can save around £65 a year just remembering to turn off appliances
4. Add an aerator to your current kitchen tap: an aerator would allow you to decrease the flow of water while maintaining proper washing and rinsing functions. You could save £30 a year

Saving energy around the home

1. Thermostat: turning your thermostat down by 1 degree could cut your bill by 10%, also programme your heating and hot water to come on only when you need it instead of all the time
2. Curtains: close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows
3. Boiler: make sure gas boilers and room heaters work efficiently, have them serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you rent, your landlord must provide an annual gas appliance check
4. Lights: turn the lights off when you leave a room. This will save you around £25 a year on your annual energy bills. Also use low energy light bulbs – they use a quarter of the energy and last ten times longer
5. Laptops, Desktop and Tablets: choosing a laptop over a desktop and avoiding leaving the laptop in standby could save up to £45 per year. Tablets on average uses 70% less power compared to laptop