Follow our tips and advice for straightforward ways to save energy, lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you’re a homeowner, a private or social renter, or you live with your parents, there are lots of things you can do.
10 tips to help you save money
Switch off standby
You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.
Draught-proof windows and doors
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.
Professional draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can cost around £200, but can save around £40 a year on energy bills.
Turn off lights
Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £20 a year on your annual energy bills. Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more.
Careful with your washing
You can save around £28 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine more carefully:
Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures.
Reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.
Avoid the tumble dryer
Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes: dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather to save £55 a year.
Spend less time in the shower
Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £65 a year on their energy bills.
Swap your bath for a shower
Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath, but swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower could save you £11 a year on your energy bills.
Be savvy in the kitchen
Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. But many of us will admit that we at least occasionally boil the kettle with more water than we’re going to use.
Avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £11 a year on your electricity bill.
Fill your dishwasher
Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £14.
Top up the insulation
Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: 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 £35 a year in the process.
