As energy prices rise through the roof, learning how to save energy at home has never been more important. If you're concerned about your energy usage these small changes could make a big difference.
- Turn your thermostat down by one degree
A myth busted is that it’s cheaper to have the heating on low all the time. Apparently, 46 percent of us believe it to be true but it's not. According to the Energy Saving Trust, you can save £150 per year by using a thermostat to regulate the temperature.
In bedrooms, turning down the thermostat even further and adding one of the best electric blankets to the bed instead can also be cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for night-time warmth.
- Change your lightbulbs
You don't exactly need to have a lightbulb moment to know that switching to efficient LED bulbs – or better yet, smart lighting and bulbs that are easy to switch on and off from your phone – can have a serious impact on your wallet. But did you know just how much you could claw back?
According to the Energy Saving Trust by swapping a 100 watt incandescent bulb to an LED you could save £13 per bulb per year (based on the average April 2022 energy price cap).
'LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity compared to normal bulbs,' explains Holly Herbert, property expert from webuyanyhouse.co.uk. 'Most LEDs use at least 75 per cent less energy, saving you a huge amount on your bill.
- Save energy in the kitchen
Saving energy in the kitchen is as simple as making a cup of tea. But before you flip on that kettle, remember only filling it with the water you need could save you around £6 a year on your electricity bill.
Making life easier for your fridge can save some energy, too. Dust behind it once in a while to keep its coils clean and working efficiently. And as strange as it seems, keeping it full actually makes it work less hard, as the chilled food items help to keep the temperature down.
Buying an energy-efficient slow cooker is another way of cutting your energy bills. And your microwave is an unlikely energy saving hero too. By using less time to cook, it uses less energy too.
Another simple change is washing up in a bowl of warm water. Not leaving the hot tap running can help you to cut your energy bills and your carbon impact, too
- Save money on your heating
Another way of saving money is making the most of the heating you already have. Draught proofing your windows and doors can save you around £25 a year. You could caulk around your window frames, block draughty door gaps with a towel, or just remember to close your curtains to keep the heat in. And get radiator savvy: if there's a room (or two) you don't spend much time in, then switch off the radiator, or turn it right down, and shut the door to save energy.
Radiators will also work much more efficiently if you dust between their 'fins' and keep them clear of any obstacles or furniture (or drying socks, for that matter).
You can even get your Blue Peter at on: installing a panel of reflective foil behind your radiators could save you around £13 a year by reflecting heat back into the room. But a bog-standard sheet of kitchen tin foil wrapped over cardboard does the job and is a low-cost alternative.
- Stop leaving technology on standby
The Energy Saving Trust revealed that homeowners could save around £55 a year by turning appliances off standby.
Obviously, it can't be helped that some appliances, like a fridge or freezer have to be kept on all the time. However, loads of other appliances should be switched off at the wall and unplugged if possible.
Items like televisions or smart speakers use up energy which is known as 'Phantom Load'. This is the way in which energy is invisibly drained without users necessarily knowing about it.
While the average UK household could be wasting £140 a year through their Phantom Load, across the UK savings of almost £4 billion can be made if we all switch off things collectively.