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

Do you ever ask, "Why is my energy bill so high?" We've put together some energy-saving tips to help you and your family save energy at home and reduce energy consumption in every room of your home. 
 

Everyday habit tweaks!

Home heating, lighting and washing

It's really important to look at home heating habits and make small changes to our everyday lives to help reduce the heating bill. 

• Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could save you up to £145 a year. Set a timer on your thermostat for your heating to come on only when you need it.
• 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 12% of the gas used to heat your home.⁽¹⁾. This isn't suitable for all systems, so find out more with our Boiler Flow temperature guide.
• 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 cut around 5% off the typical UK household's energy usage. Try to keep doors between adjoining rooms shut to stop the heat from escaping.
• 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.
• 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.
• Switch off the lights. Every time you leave a room, switch the lights off. This could save you about £8 a year.
• Change your light bulbs. Fitting energy saving light bulbs is a great way to reduce energy use at home. Energy Saving Trust estimates that an average home could save £45 a year by replacing halogen spotlights with LED bulbs.
• Change your washing machine habits! Turning your washing machine temperature down to 30 degrees will save around 40% of the energy used each year.

Kitchen savers

• Stop the frost. Defrost your fridge freezer regularly to prevent it from using more energy than needed.
• 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.
• 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.
• Keep saucepan lids on. Your food will heat up faster, which means you could save 124kW of electricity a year.
• 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 £11.
• 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.

Bathroom ideas

Did you know that about 18% of a typical gas-heated home's energy bill is from heating the water for showers, baths and water from the hot tap? 

• 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.
• 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 £45 per year.

Simple investments to help save money

• Choose thermal curtains and keep the heat in. Investing in thermal lined curtains and ensuring they're closed in the evening can stop heat loss 27% and save an average home up to £291 a year on energy bills.
• Install a smart thermostat and heating controls. Smart thermostats and heating controls allow you to manage your energy consumption more effectively and conveniently. You'll be able to adjust your temperature settings when you’re not at home through a smartphone. Installing heat control could save you up to £110 per year.
• Add a thermostatic valve to radiators. Control the individual temperature of your radiators with thermostatic valves to help prevent wasting energy.
• Draught proofing. Block gaps where heat escapes and cold air gets in; you'll prevent heat loss and keep your home warm. There are a number of places where you can prevent draughts. Draught-proofing your chimney alone could save you around £60 a year.
• 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.
• Switch to an energy-efficient showerhead. An energy-efficient shower head could reduce the amount of water you use even further and save you up to £25 per year. When you're using less water, you need less energy to heat it.
• Invest in a hot water cylinder jacket. If you have a hot water tank investing in a jacket could save you up to £50 a year as the jacket reduces the amount of heat the cylinder loses and keeps water hot for longer, making them more efficient and cheaper to use.

Big investments for long-term cash and carbon savings 

• Consider low-carbon electric heating for your home. Not only can a low-carbon electric heating system such as an air source heat pump help lower your carbon footprint, but you may also save money with specific tariffs designed to support your heating system!
• 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 energy savings.
• 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.
• Gas boiler care and boiler cover - includes boiler efficiency checks. Make sure your boiler isn't costing you more by working inefficiently.
• Boiler replacement - gas boilers usually last around 10 to 15 years and heating makes up over 50% of your energy bills⁽²⁾, so if your boiler is older it might cost you less to replace it, rather than repair it.

Check your energy tariff is the best for you

Reviewing your energy tariff could save you money, and switching energy suppliers is easy! See how much you can save - why not get a quote?

A smart meter could help you save

Smart meters help track your energy usage and show where you can save. Helping you lower your bills and carbon footprint.

Smart benefits include:

• You're in control - you can see the cost of your energy
• Get more accurate bills
• If you use cards or keys, you can top up online
• Get a smart meter installed, at no extra cost! 

Other ways to reduce energy at home

There are lots of other ways you can reduce energy at home and help save the planet by being more energy-conscious. Do you really need a portable air conditioning unit, for example? They use a lot of energy and have a high cost to run.

Find out more about what makes an energy-efficient home and get more energy efficiency tips in our Energywise blog.

You can also head over to the GOV.UK website for more information on conserving energy in your home.