With the cost of living on the rise, there’s never been a better time to cut your energy bills and be kind to the planet. We’ve put together some tips to help you and your family reduce your energy use in every room of your home.

1. Home heating – whilst using less energy

Over half of our energy bills spend goes on heating and hot water. It’s really important to look at our home heating habits and see if there are small changes we can make to reduce our heating bills.

• Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could save you £80 a year. Set a timer on your thermostat for your heating to come on only when you need it.
• Don’t heat empty rooms. Individual radiator thermostats mean you can adjust the temperature in each room accordingly.
• Keep doors between adjoining rooms shut. This way, you stop the heat from escaping.
• Run your heating for an hour less each day. Even using a little less energy each day adds up to savings over time.
• Bleed your radiators. Trapped air can make your radiators less efficient, so they’ll be slower to heat up. If you feel confident doing it yourself, read our guide on how to bleed your radiators.
• Turn the heating flow temperature down. Your combi boiler probably has the flow temperature set to 80 degrees, but lower temperatures of 60 degrees are not only sufficient to heat your home up to the same level but actually improves the efficiency of your combi boiler. This isn’t suitable for all systems so find out more in our flow temperature article.
• Keep the heat in. Simply closing your blinds or curtains in the evening can also stop the heat loss by up to 17%. Just be sure your curtains don’t cover the radiators.

2. Energy saving tips for the whole house

Invest in A-rated appliances. If you’re in the market for new home electricals, be sure to check the energy rating. The better the rating the more efficient the appliance, so the more you’ll save in the long term.

3. Kitchen – reduce your energy and water use even when cooking and washing up

• Stop the frost. Defrost your fridge freezer regularly to prevent it from using more energy than needed.
• Clean behind your fridge and freezer. Dusty condensing coils (used to cool and condense) can trap air and create heat – not what you want for your fridge. Keep them clean, and they’ll stay cool, using less energy.
• Use smaller pans. The smaller your pan, the less heat you’ll need. Using the right size pan for your meal means less energy wasted.
• Keep saucepan lids on. Your food will heat up faster.
• Fill the dishwasher before each cycle. Make sure your dishwasher is full and set to an economy setting. Plus, doing one less wash cycle a week could save you £14 a year.
• Only boil the water you need. Over-filling the kettle wastes water, money and time. Instead, only boil as much water as you need.
• Fill your washing-up bowl. If you’re washing up by hand, you could save £25 a year by filling up a bowl rather than letting the hot tap run.

4. Bathroom – reduce your water and energy bills

Did you know that about 12% of a typical gas-heated home’s energy bill is from heating the water for showers, baths and water from the hot tap? [Source Energy Savings Trust 02/02/2022]

Here are some quick ways to save water and money on your energy bills

• Consider a water meter. Depending on your water provider and water usage, you could save with a water meter. Find out who supplies your water and contact them to find out more.

5. Home lighting and electronics – keep the lights on for less

• Change your light bulbs. Fitting LED bulbs is a great way to reduce energy use at home. Energy Saving Trust estimates it’d cost an average home around £100 to replace all its bulbs but cost £35 less a year in energy.
• Switch off the lights. Every time you leave a room, switch the lights off. This could save you about £14 a year.

6. Check if your energy tariff is the best for you

Reviewing your energy tariff regularly could also save you money. If you’re not ready to switch your tariff because of the high energy prices, leave us your email address, and we’ll let you know when prices come down.

7. A smart meter could help you save

It’s important now, more than ever, to stay in control of your energy. With a smart meter, you’ll easily be able to track your energy usage and see where you can save so that you can lower your bills and your carbon footprint.

Smart benefits include:

• Upgrade your meter at no extra cost
• You’re in control – you can see the cost of your energy
• Receive more accurate bills
• Get a more personalised breakdown of your energy use with Energy Hub(1)
• If you use cards or keys, you can top up online

8. Other ways to reduce energy at home

There are lots of ways you can help your wallet and the planet by being more energy conscious. There are lots of other ways you can help to reduce energy at home and save the planet at the same time. Get more energy efficiency tips in our Energywise blog.