Energy Saving Tips

Top Energy Saving Tips

According to Ofgem the average household spends over £1,250 a year on heating and power making energy one of the biggest annual costs for families. How can you lower your energy consumption and save money on your energy bills? Our guide takes you through some of our top tips to save money on your energy bills.

Why should you save energy?

Saving energy helps you to be more energy-efficient, it’s good for the environment and a great way to save money.

The average household in the UK now uses 13 electronic appliances, compared to just 4 in the 1990s. However, our appliances are much more energy efficient than they used to be, meaning we still use similar amounts of energy as we did in the 90s.

Even though our gadgets are more energy efficient than they used to be, you can still save plenty of money by saving energy. Most energy is wasted in the kitchen and doing the laundry. We take a look at how to save energy in these key places.

Tips for Saving Electricity

Just a few simple changes around the home can cut your electricity bill significantly.

• Use more energy efficient appliances, such as energy saving lightbulbs. You won’t lose any light but you will cut your energy use and save money.
• Upgrading your appliances to ones with A+++ ratings can lower your energy consumption and keep your bills low.
• Dimmer switches mean you only light your room as much as you need to, and you can reduce your electricity use as a result.
• Unplug appliances that aren’t being use. Even charger cables that don’t have anything plugged into them can waste electricity so take care to unplug unused cables to save money and electricity.

Tips for Saving Gas

Saving money on your gas bill can be just as easy.

• Upgrade your gas appliances to more efficient models.
• Install a smart meter to help you track your energy usage and give you more control over your central heating. A smart thermostat will specifically track your gas usage and help you make adjustments to save money.

Save Energy in the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the key places you can reduce energy consumption and save money in your home. Here are our top tips:

• Save water. When boiling food in a pan only use the water you need to cover the food. When making a cup of tea only boil as much water as you need. Boiling too much water wastes a lot of energy.
• Use a microwave to heat your food. The small size and focused heat means it is often the most efficient way to heat or cook food.
• Try slow cooking. Putting your evening meal in the slow cooker while you’re at work saves you time and only uses as much energy as a lightbulb.
• Invest in a fan oven. Fan ovens circulate the heat meaning you can cook at lower temperatures and waste less power.
• When using the oven cook multiple meals at the same time. This will save you money as you only have to heat the oven once, and batch cooking can also save you time.

Save Energy Doing the Laundry

Washing and drying clothes uses lots of water and energy. Making small changes to your laundry habits can be a great way to cut your energy bills.

• Was your clothes at 30 or 40 degrees. 90% of your washing machine’s energy is used on heating the water so washing at a lower temperature can save you lots of money on energy.
• Air-dry your laundry instead of using a tumble-dryer.
• Try ironing your clothes before they’re completely dry. This will speed up your ironing, and you’ll use less energy on the dryer!

Save Money on Your Energy Bill

Reducing the amount of gas and electricity you use throughout your home will help you save money. Just small changes can add up to big reductions in energy usage.

• Get a smart meter to give you more control over your energy use. You can see how much you’re using and where, which can help you cut down on unnecessary energy use.
• Turn down your thermostat. Almost half the money spent on energy is heating and hot water so turning down your thermostat just one degree could save you up to £80 a year!
• Take showers instead of baths. Just swapping one bath a week for a five minute shower could save lots of money on water and heating.
• Upgrade your appliances and consider installing a new boiler.
• Proper insulation, draught proofing and double glazing can all reduce the amount of money lost through heating. The government offers some full and partial grants to help you pay for insulating your home.
• Comparing energy quotes is the easiest way to save money on gas and electricity.