Posted 13/10/2022

Ten top energy saving tips

Changes to the ‘energy price cap’ in April 2022 mean that millions of households are seeing a significant increase in their energy bills.

The amount your bill will increase by will depend on how much energy you use, so here’s some advice that can help you reduce the amount of energy you use in your home.

You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

1. Turn off unneeded lights
2. Switch appliances off standby
3. Reduce the temperature on your washing machine from 40 degrees down to 30 degrees and cut out just one run per week for a year
4. Avoid using the tumble dryer – drying clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather
5. Shorten the length of your shower to just four minutes
6. Swap your bath for a shower
7. Be careful in the kitchen – for example, overfilling the kettle uses lots of unneeded energy
8. Only run your dishwasher when it is full and reduce your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year
9. Top up the insulation of your hot water cylinder - even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick, saving up to £35 a year
10. Draught-proof windows and doors using DIY techniques such as using self-adhesive foam strips to block small gaps around window frames or squirting filler into gaps along skirting boards. (Just be careful that you don’t block needed ventilation such as wall vents.)

Information from Energy Saving Trust.

How much could I save?

Add up the potential £££ savings available for each energy saving action.

• Switch off standby - £55
• Turn off the lights - £20
• Avoid using the tumble drier - £55
• Swap one bath a week to a shower - £11
• Reduce dishwasher use - £14
• Drought-proof gaps - £40
• Wash at 30 degrees - £28
• Take a four-minute shower - £65
• Don’t overfill the kettle - £33
• Insulate your hot water cylinder - £35

(Figures show a potential reduction per year)

*Savings are for a typical three-bedroom, gas-heated home in Great Britain, using a gas price of 7p/kWh and electricity price of 28p/kWh (based on April 2022 price cap). Water savings are based on average occupancy. This household is projected to spend a total £1,971 on energy annually, including standing charge. Figures updated 3 February 2022.