1. Take Control – Switch Off Standby

You can save around £30 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

Almost all electrical and electronic appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. You may want to think about getting a standby saver which allows you to turn all your appliances off standby in one go. Check the instructions for any appliances you aren’t sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record.

Did You Know: TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power.

Turn things off when you are not in the room such as lights, TVs, entertainment systems, and your computer and monitor. Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use

2. Kitchen & Laundry Efficiency  

You can save around £50 a year just by using your kitchen appliances more carefully:

– Use a bowl to wash up rather than a running tap and save £30 a year in energy bills.
– Only fill the kettle with the amount of water that you need and save around £7 a year.
– Cutback your washing machine use by just one cycle per week and save £5 a year on energy, and a further £8 a year on metered water bills.

Did You Know: You can air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle for further savings?

Laundry Tips – Use an economy programme on your washing machine whenever possible. If the weather is fine, dry your laundry outside instead of using the tumble dryer. As tempting as it is, don’t dry clothes on the radiators. It makes your boiler work harder than it needs to. Keep filters clean in your tumble dryer. Use Eco Balls in the tumble dryer. They make gaps in the washing to allow the heat to move more freely so clothes will dry quicker.

3. Get A Head – Shower & Water Savings 

If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower), fit a water efficient shower head. This will reduce your hot water usage while retaining the sensation of a powerful shower.

A water efficient shower head could save a four person household (eg a family of four or even a shared student flat) around £67 a year on gas for water heating, as well as a further £100 on water bills if they have a water meter.

​Calculation is based on the assumption that the family takes just under 20 showers a week and replaces a 13 litre/minute power-shower head with a 7.7 litre / min water efficient shower head, and the family are charged £3.01 per cubic meter of water used (includes sewage charge).

Did You Know: The average shower lasts 8 minutes, using almost as much water & energy as the average bath!

Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save £10 off your energy bills each year, per person. With a water meter this will save a further £15 off annual water and sewerage bills. If everyone in a four person family did this it would lead to a total saving of £100 a year.

Try to limit electric showers to 10 minutes or invest in a shower monitor to keep an eye on how much hot water you’re using. Make sure the water immersion tank is insulated as this will help keep the water hot for a longer period.

4. Draught Proofing

Unless your home is very new, you will lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney.

DIY draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can cost around £200, but can save up to £25 to £35 a year on energy bills.

Use thermal or heavy curtains during the winter and close them at dusk. This will help stop heat escaping through the windows. Remove all draughts around the house to help stop the heat from escaping. Use letter box covers and key hole covers to help minimise draft.

5. Heating – Take Control

More than half the money spent on fuel bills goes towards providing heating and hot water. Having a room thermostat, programmer and thermostatic radiator valves installed could save you between £80 and £165 a year.

Whatever the age of your boiler the right controls will let you:

• set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them
• heat only the areas of your home that need heating
• set the temperature for each area of your home

Did You Know: Even turning down your room thermostat by just one degree can save between £85 and £90 a year.

7. Switch to LEDs 

You can now get energy saving light bulbs such as LED spotlights that are bright enough to replace halogens, as well as regular energy saving bulbs (‘compact fluorescent lamps’ or CFLs). They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fittings and last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs

If the average household replaced all of their remaining old-fashioned bulbs with CFLs, and all of their halogens with LEDs, it would cost about £100 and save about £35 a year on bills.

8. Turn off the Lights

Turn your lights off when you’re not using them. Lighting accounts for 18 per cent of a typical household’s electricity bill. You can cut your lighting bill and energy use by changing which bulbs you use as detailed above but you can also make further savings by changing how you use them

If you switch a light off for just a few seconds, you will save more energy than it takes for the light to start up again, regardless of the type of light. This will save you around £15 on your annual energy bills.

• Always turn lights out when leaving a room, regardless of how long for.
• Be conscious of how many lights you have on and whether they all need to be in use.
• Arrange light switches so that its convenient to turn them off i.e. place switches at top and bottom of stairs, each end of a hallway and each door to a room.
• Use a sensor and timer on external lights so they are only in use when they need to be.
• Use appropriate lightings i.e. a low back ground light while watching television and a bright, concentrated light for reading. Having a range of lights in a room with separate switches will make this easier.

9. Insulation & Heat Loss Reduction

One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your attic, including the attic trap or access door, which is relatively easy. Installing loft insulation could save around £175 a year.

Installing cavity wall insulation could save around £135 a year. You may also need to add insulation to your crawlspace or basement. Check with a professional contractor for recommendations.

You can also fit double glazing to reduce heat loss through windows which will help significantly to improve your home’s energy performance rating.

 10. Install Solar!

OK, so this one of course links back to why you’re most likely here in the first place – to save money and benefit from an additional income through harvesting the power of nature by using your home to generate a profit through the fastest growing and most cost effective renewable energy system available – solar.

The savings you can make by installing a solar PV system are reward enough for investing in renewable energy but that’s only half the story – you also make money from your investment through the governments feed-in-tariff which pays you for every unit of energy you generate, no matter if you use that energy yourself or send it back to the grid, you still get paid the same. The savings and income available to you offer an unbeatable return – to find out exactly how much you can save and earn get in touch with us today for a free no-obligation consultation and let us help you discover the benefits of renewable energy for yourself.

Summary

The above identifies many cost saving initiatives to help educate and reduce our energy bills. With many considerate measures in place, it is factually fair to conclude several £hundred pounds can be saved in the average home on an on-going, annual basis.