Energy Saving Tips

Simple changes to your daily habits can save you money on your energy bills and make your home more eco-friendly.

The following tips are divided into cost-free measures that you can get cracking on right away, and improvements that you can plan for as your budget allows.

Cost Free Improvements

• Recycling is now a service that all councils must offer. To find out more, contact your Local Council.
• Turn your thermostat to a lower temperature setting. By reducing your room temperature by 1°C you can save up to £40 per year.
• Your water may be too hot. Cylinder thermostats shouldn't need to be set higher than 60°C/140°F.
• Stop heat escaping from your windows by closing your curtains in the evening
• Turn off lights when you leave a room.
• Don't leave appliances on standby. Electrical devices left in standby mode can add up to £38 to your annual electricity bill.
• Use the half-load or economy programme when filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher with small loads.
• When using an electric kettle, only boil as much water as you need.
• Tighten any dripping or leaking taps. A dripping hot water tap can waste enough hot water in a week to fill half a bath.
• Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when buying new appliances. Devices which feature the logo are the most efficient in their category and could save you up to £37 per year.

Planned Improvements

(£) Low Cost Improvements

• Draught proof your floors - heat can escape the floorboards and skirting boards. Minimise heat loss by using newspaper, beading or sealant to fill those gaps. See Floor Insulation for more help in tackling this
• Treat your hot water tank to a jacket so it stays warm longer. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and savings of around £20 a year can be made. A British Standard lagging jacket costs approx £10

(££) Mid-priced Improvements

• Draught proof your floors too! Heat can escape through your floorboards and skirting boards. Minimise heat lose by using newspaper, beading or sealant to fill those gaps
• Insulating your loft is one of the most effective ways of saving energy. In most cases you can do it yourself, but if you'd rather call in the professionals, see Builders. There are also grants available to help you pay for it - see Green Grants to find out if you're eligible.

(£££) Expensive Improvements

• Installing good double glazing can cut heat loss through windows dramatically and give you energy savings of around £90 a year. Book a Glazier to get the job done.
• Invest in Cavity Wall Insulation. As much as a third of heat loss occurs through your home's walls. This could cut your annual energy bills by around £90.
• Upgrade your gas boiler to a condensing boiler. They are more efficient, just as reliable, less costly to run and produce less carbon dioxide.

For more tips, see our videos on How to Insulate your Home & How to Save Energy in your Home.

If you need to call in a CORGI professional for a safe fix of your gas central heating, see Heating Engineers. To keep boiler breakdowns at bay, it's a good idea to look into Annual Boiler Servicing - when it comes to heating repairs prevention is definitely cheaper than cure.

To protect your home against sudden problems that can hit the pocket hard, you might like to choose Gas Central Heating Cover.