Turn your heating thermostat down

  • The ideal temperature for most people is 60 oC / 140 oF
  • Reducing your thermostat by one or two degrees can cut your heating bill by up to 10% a year

Turn off your appliances

  • Equipment on standby uses up to 20% of the energy it would use when fully on
  • The average household wastes £37 a year simply by leaving appliances on standby

Fit a lagging jacket

  • Lagging your hot water cylinder will keep the water hotter for longer, why pay to heat the water and then let the heat dissipate away
  • Fit a British Standard jacket that is at least 7.5cm thick, it will cost from £14 and will give you a saving of £10 - £15 a year

Heating Controls

  • Programme timer switches on and off to suit your needs
  • Use a timer control switch to heat your tank of hot water, which should normally take 30 - 45 minutes

Windows

  • At night, pull the curtains to stop heat being lost through the windows
  • Nearly a 1/5th of heat lost from an uninsulated home can be through the windows
  • Take care not to drape curtains over radiators as this will funnel heat straight out of the windows

Draft Proofing

  • Draught proof windows and doors to stop heat escaping
  • Simple measures such as fitting brushes to letterboxes can make a difference
  • Seal gaps around floors and skirting; simply with a tube of sealant available from most DIY stores

Insulate your loft

  • 26% of heat lost from an uninsulated home is through the roof
  • The optimum thickness has been shown to be 350mm, Building Regulations insist on a minimum of 250mm
  • Loft insulation will keep the heat in your home for longer and in most cases can be completed by the householder
  • Fitting sufficient loft insulation is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways of saving energy and money

Use energy efficient light bulbs

  • One energy saving light bulb will save around £7 a year
  • They use a 1/5th of the energy and last up to 10 times as long
  • Energy efficient bulbs last around 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs
  • If every home in the UK installed just three energy-efficient light bulbs, we would save enough energy to power all our street lights

Household appliances

  • Defrost your freezer regularly
  • Run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads
  • If you're using an electric kettle - boil the right amount of water you really need
  • Wash clothes at 30 0C rather than a higher temperature - uses a third less electricity
  • Buy 'A' rated kitchen appliances - they cost less to run and over time they will give you considerable savings on your electricity bill
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