Use less energy

Avoid standby

• One of the quickest changes you can make is to avoid standby. Switch off appliances when you’re not using them and save £65 on your electricity bills each year. Get a standby saver which allows you to turn all your appliances off standby in one go.
• Laptops use around 65% less electricity than desktop computers, while tablets use even less energy. Choosing a laptop over a desktop and avoiding leaving it on standby could save you up to £45 a year on your bills.

Be careful in the kitchen

• Whether you’re cooking up a feast or doing the weekly wash, there are plenty of ways to save energy and money in the kitchen.
• Don’t overfill the kettle – only boil as much water as you need to save yourself £13 a year.
• When you’re cooking, always use the right sized pan for the job, and use the correct hob ring for each pan. Try and keep the oven door shut as much as possible and make sure the glass door is clean so you can see when your meal is ready.
• It’s also important to let warm foods cool down before putting them in the fridge – it means your fridge won’t have to work as hard.
• Only run your dishwasher when it’s full to reduce the amount of water – and energy – you use. Cutting your dishwasher use by just one run a week for a year could save you £17.

Washing and drying

• When it comes to washing, try to minimise unnecessary washing by hanging up clothes to air after you’ve worn them. This way you can get the maximum use out of each item before you need to wash it.
• Washing your clothes at 30 degrees rather than higher temperatures will save around 57% of the energy used each year, saving you £17 and 10kg of CO2. Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures.
• Make sure you have a full load before you use the washing machine – one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
• Dry your clothes outside in the summer months and save an average of £70 a year.

Get your lighting right

• If you replace all the lightbulbs in your house with LEDs, you’ll reduce your lighting costs by 50%, saving you around £65 a year on your bills.
• The quickest way to save is just remembering to turn off lights when you don’t need them. Turning off all the lights around your home when they’re not needed could save around £25 a year on energy bills.

Keep the draughts out

• Fit draught excluders around your front door and over the letter box and key holes to keep the warm in, and the cold out.
• Don’t leave the front door open more than necessary – especially if the central heating is on. Putting a curtain over the front door helps keep the draughts out and draw your curtains at dusk to keep your home warmer for less.

Take control of your heating

• During the winter, turning your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree could save you up to £145 on your heating costs and reduce your carbon emissions by 295kg of CO2 every year.
• Use heating controls to heat up a room just before you need it and switch if off earlier to enjoy the residual heat, without worrying about how much it’s costing you.
• If there are rooms in your home that you don’t use often, make sure the radiators are set to the lowest setting to avoid heating empty spaces.
• It’s also a good idea to get your boiler serviced in the summer so it’s in good working order before winter arrives. Bleed your radiators too, so your heating is working efficiently.

Use water wisely

• Did you know that your water use at home contributes to your energy bills and carbon emissions? Saving water can help you save energy – and money – too.
• Turn off the tap when you’re cleaning your teeth, shaving, or washing your face. A running tap uses around 11 litres of water a minute. Fill the basin if you can or just turn the taps on when you need them.
• Keep your shower time to just four minutes to save around £95 a year on your bills (in a typical household). Invest in a shower timer to help you see how long you spend in the shower and challenge yourself to keep it within four minutes.
• If you prefer a bath, swapping just one bath a week with a four-minute shower could save you £20 a year.
• Power showers can easily use as much water as taking a bath. Consider fitting an aerated or low-flow showerhead to cut down water use. If a family of four replaced their inefficient showerhead with a water efficient one, they could save around £75 on their energy bills each year.