Small steps can really add up and make a difference. The Energy Savings Trust has provided the following advice to help households save energy:
- Switch off standby - You can save around £65 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.
- Draught-proof windows and doors - Unless your home is very new, you will lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney. Professional draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can cost around £225, but it can save around £125 a year on energy bills. DIY draught proofing can be much cheaper.
- Turn off your lights - turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £25 a year on your annual energy bills. Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more. A household using a dozen 40W incandescent or halogen bulbs for four hours a day could save up to £196 a year by using LED bulbs.
- Use your washing machine more efficiently - You can save around £34 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures and using one less cycle a week.
- Avoid the tumble dryer - dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather to save £70 a year
- Spend less time in the shower - keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £95 a year
- Swap your bath for a shower - swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower could save you £20 a year on your energy bills.
- Be savvy in the kitchen - avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £13 a year
- Fill your dishwasher - only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £17.
- Top up the insulation - Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick, saving £70 a year in the process. Insulating your water tank, pipes and radiators is a quick and easy way to save money on your bills.