Top tips for saving energy around your home

With rising energy prices, knowing where we can save money around our homes is invaluable.

Follow our tips and advice for straightforward ways to save energy, lower your bills, and reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Switch off standby

Turning appliances off completely and not leaving them on standby can save you around £40 a year on your energy bills. Almost all appliances can be switched off at the socket without any negative effects, but some satellite and TV recorders need to be left on to retain their settings. If you're not sure about any appliances, check their instructions. 

2. Turn off lights

Make sure you turn off any lights when you leave the room or if you're not using them. Doing this can save you around £14 a year on your energy bills. Switching to energy efficient light bulbs may save you even more.

3. Be careful with your laundry

By using your washing machine more carefully, you could save around £30 on your energy bills. Only wash your clothes when you have a full load of washing, to reduce the amount of cycles you do. Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle, rather than a higher temperature. Avoid using a tumble dryer often, if you have one - drying clothes on washing lines or airers instead could save you £40 a year on your energy bills.

4. Save on water

You might enjoy a long soak in the bath, but swapping one bath per week to a shower could save you £7 a year on your energy bills and is a more sustainable way to keep clean. Keeping your shower time to four minutes can reduce your bills even further, by up to £45 a year.

5. Be smart in the kitchen

Kettles are one of the most used appliances, but we are all guilty of overfilling them at times - by avoiding doing so, you could save around £8 a year. You could also fit an aerator onto your taps to reduce your water usage and save you up to £14 a year. Be sure to only run your dishwasher (if you have one) when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use.

6. Control your heating

Some of our properties are fitted with smart thermostats, but if not, you can adjust your thermostat if it is comfortable to do so. Turning the heating down by just one degree can save you around £60 a year. Make sure radiators are not blocked by curtains or furniture, to increase the efficiency of your heating. Moving furniture just a few centimetres away from radiators can help boost the temperature of your room.