With energy bills on the increase, we are all looking for ways to save money. Here some useful tips for saving energy at home and keeping your bills down.
- Take control of your heating. Turning your thermostat down by 1°C can save you as much as £80 per year.
- Keep your radiators clear by moving furniture away so that the warmth can circulate better.
- Draught-proof your windows, doors and loft hatch to save around £30 per year (avoid draught-proofing kitchen and bathroom windows or rooms that are prone to damp).
- Replace standard bulbs and halogen spotlights in your home with energy saving light bulbs such as LEDs. These typically use around 60% less energy saving up to £35 per year in electricity bills.
- Turn off lights when you're not using them and save around £14 on your annual energy bill.
- Switch off or unplug any chargers or appliances that don't need to be left on. You can save around £30 per year by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.
- Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need, and you could save around £7 per year.
- Have a shorter shower. Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save you up to £7 off your energy bills each year, per person and you'll save water too.
- If you have storage heaters, make sure you're using them efficiently. Keep the input constant at the amount you need, but turn the output down to a minimum when you don't need the heating on, or turn it off at the wall.
- Don’t overpay for the energy you’re using - get advice on switching supplier from the Citizens Advice website.
- Compare gas and electricity prices and make sure you are on the cheapest tariff for you.
For more information see energysavingtrust.org.uk.