Energy-saving tips to help you reduce your energy bills at home 

Woman and child relaxing on sofa

With the cost of living on the rise, there's never been a better time to cut your energy bills and be kind to the planet. We've put together some tips to help you and your family reduce your energy use in every room of your home. 
 

1. Home heating - top tips to cut your heating bills

Over half of our energy bills spend goes on heating and hot water. It's really important to look at our home heating habits and see if there are small changes we can make to reduce our heating bill. 

  1. Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could save you up to £128 a year. Set a timer on your thermostat for your heating to come on only when you need it. 
  2. Turn the heating flow temperature down. Without lowering the temperature of your home, turning the flow temperature down on your combi boiler from 80℃ to 60℃ you can save up to £112 per year(1). This isn't suitable for all systems so find out more with our flow temperature guide. 
  3. Don't heat empty rooms. Using individual radiator valves means you can reduce or turn off radiators in unused rooms if you have any. Doing this can would cut 4.5% off the typical UK household's gas usage, meaning a saving of up to £55 a year. Try to keep doors between adjoining rooms shut to stop the heat from escaping. 
  4. Run your heating only when you're at home. Even using your central heating for an hour less each day adds up to big savings over time.
  5. Draught proofing. By blocking any gaps where heat can escape and cold air can get in, you'll prevent heat loss and keep your home warm. There are a number of places where you can prevent draught. Draught-proofing your chimney alone could save you up to £65 a year.
  6. Bleed your radiators. Trapped air can make your radiators less efficient, so they'll be slower to heat up. If you feel confident doing it yourself, read our guide on how to bleed your radiators.
  7. Keep the heat in. Simply closing your blinds or curtains in the evening can also stop heat loss by up to 17%. Just be sure your curtains don't cover the radiators.
  8. Heat people, not the room: Rather than putting the thermostat up further, you could try a heated electric blanket to keep you snug. They typically cost between £25-50 to purchase but use as little as 3p an hour of electricity even on the highest setting. 

If your budget allows, do check whether you could benefit from extra measures that would keep your home warm more efficiently, saving on your energy bills in the long term:

  • Insulation - keep the warmth in. Did you know that only 7.5% of UK homes have an insulation age of 2002 or younger? This means a huge number of houses are not meeting the current insulation regulations.
  • Boiler cover - includes boiler efficiency checks
  • Boiler replacement - new boilers are much more efficient 

2. Kitchen - reduce your energy use even when cooking and washing up

  1. Stop the frost. Defrost your fridge freezer regularly to prevent it from using more energy than needed.

  2. Clean behind your fridge and freezer. Dusty condensing coils (used to cool and condense) can trap air and create heat - not what you want for your fridge. Keep them clean, and they'll stay cool, using less energy.

  3. Use smaller pans. The smaller your pan, the less heat you'll need. Using the right size pan for your meal means less energy wasted.

  4. Keep saucepan lids on. Your food will heat up faster which means you could save 124kW of electricity a year.

  5. Fill the dishwasher before each cycle. Make sure your dishwasher is full and set to an economy setting. Using your dishwasher for one less cycle per week for a year could save you £17.

  6. Only boil the water you need. Overfilling the kettle wastes water, money and time. Instead, only boil as much water as you need. This can save up to 83kW of electricity a year.

 

3. Bathroom - energy saving ideas for your bathroom

Did you know that about 12% of a typical gas-heated home's energy bill is from heating the water for showers, baths and water from the hot tap? [Source Energy Savings Trust 02/02/2022]

Here are some quick ways to save water and money on your energy bills

  1. Consider a water meter. Depending on your water provider and water usage, you could save with a water meter. Find out who supplies your water and contact them to find out more.
  2. Shower rather than a bath. Swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower will reduce the amount of hot water you use and you could save up to £20 per year.
  3. Switch to an energy-efficient showerhead. An energy-efficient shower head could reduce the amount of water you use even further. When you're using less water, you need less energy to heat it.

Good to know!

You could arrange a water-saving home visit. Some water companies offer in-home consultations about your water usage and can give you tips on using less water. They may also offer you water-saving devices. Get in touch with your water company to find out more.

Water UK estimates that a dripping tap wastes at least 5,500 litres of water a year, so fix drips and leaks as soon as they happen.

According to Energy Savings Trust, a 4-person household could save up to £38 on their gas bills and around £53 on their metered water bill each year with a more efficient, low-flow showerhead.



4. Home lighting and electronics - keep the lights on for less

  1. Change your light bulbs. Fitting LED bulbs is a great way to reduce energy use at home. Energy Saving Trust estimates it'd cost an average home around £100 to replace all its bulbs but cost £35 less a year in energy. 
  2. Switch off the lights. Every time you leave a room, switch the lights off. This could save you about £25 a year. 
  3. Invest in A-rated appliances. If you're in the market for new home electricals, be sure to check the energy rating. The better the rating the more efficient the appliance, so the more you'll save in the long term. Replacing very old fridges or freezers can have a quick payback time with the energy savings. 

Good to know!

According to the Energy Saving Trust, you could save up to £55 a year by turning appliances off at the wall

 

5. Don't pay more - Check if your energy tariff is the best for you

Reviewing your energy tariff regularly could also save you money. If you're not ready to switch your tariff because of the high energy prices, leave us your email address, and we'll let you know when prices come down. 

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6. A smart meter could help you save

It's important now, more than ever, to stay in control of your energy. With a smart meter, you'll easily be able to track your energy usage and see where you can save so that you can lower your bills and your carbon footprint.

Smart benefits include:

  • Upgrade your meter at no extra cost
  • You're in control - you can see the cost of your energy
  • Receive more accurate bills
  • Get a more personalised breakdown of your energy use with Energy Hub(2)
  • If you use cards or keys, you can top up online
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7. Other ways to reduce energy at home

There are lots of ways you can help your wallet and the planet by being more energy conscious. There are lots of other ways you can help to reduce energy at home and save the planet at the same time. Find out more about what makes an energy efficint home and get more energy efficiency tips in our Energywise blog.