Energy saving tips for the home

Britain is known for being one of Europe's worst offenders when it comes to wasting energy. Bad habits such as leaving electrical appliances on standby and leaving lights switched on when a room is empty are just a couple of examples of how energy is needlessly consumed by Britons today.

In the current economic climate, every penny counts, so here are some top tips to help you cut down on the amount of energy you use in the home and reduce your household bills, while also doing your bit for the environment.

Wrap up warm and turn down the heat

If you find yourself walking around the house in a t-shirt in the winter with the heating up high, think about reaching for a jumper and turning the heating down instead to save on your central heating bills.

Did you know?

Turning a thermostat down by 1C can shave over 10% off the average heating bill.

Check your water and opt for energy efficiency

Make sure that the water you use in the home is not too hot; the cylinder thermostat should not need to be set above 60°C/140°F. Also make sure that no taps are left dripping.

Did you know?

You could fill a bath with the amount of water wasted by taps which have been left dripping over the course of a week.

Turn off the TV when not in use

Remember not to leave electrical appliances on standby when not in use. In the case of televisions, the older, cathode ray tube (CRT) TV sets use 100 watts of power when turned on, and two watts when left on standby.

Did you know?

The biggest models of the newer LCD and plasma screen TVs use 400 watts of power and four watts when on standby.

What to do with other electrical appliances

Although manufacturers recommend that some satellite receivers should be left on standby when not being used so that the equipment can successfully receive updates, there are many other electrical devices which can be switched off.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, in the case of hard disk recorders, DVD players/recorders and video recorders, many of those which have been bought in recent years can be turned off safely. You should not have to do any retuning once these machines have been turned back on.

In the case of computers, if you're using a computer in the home for any length of time, it's often impractical to switch them on-and-off. However, turning off your computer monitor when not in use can help save energy. Switching off machines such as printers can also save electricity.

Did you know?

The average cost of leaving items on standby unnecessarily in the home is said to be £37 a year.

Wash at 30°C

According to the Energy Saving Trust, washing clothes at 30°C uses less energy and is generally as efficient as washing at 40°C; in fact, manufacturers nowadays often make powders specifically formulated to be more effective at lower temperatures.

Other ways to reduce energy consumption when laundering is to hang clothes around the house or on the clothesline to dry, rather than depending on a tumble dryer. Also look out for Energy Saving Recommended items when purchasing new appliances.

Did you know?

Washing clothes at 40°C rather than 30°C means you're using 40% more energy.

Turn off the lights

Every year, UK households pay £1.9bn on electricity for lighting. In order to cut down on wastage, the Energy Saving Trust advises turning off lights when you're out of a room, even if you're only gone for 10 minutes.

The Trust confirmed that this does not damage the bulb or the electricity supply. The Trust added that the belief that turning lights on causes a surge which uses more electricity, is not true.

When it comes to lighting your home, using energy saving light bulbs is of course another way which could help reduce your electricity bills.

Did you know?

Approximately 75,000 family fuel bills could be paid a year by the money saved if one bulb in every home in the UK was swapped for an energy saving light bulb.

Unplug chargers

Across the UK, over £60m is wasted due to chargers, for items such as mobile phones, being left plugged in unnecessarily. This also generates a quarter of a million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Remember that if a charger is warm to the touch when it is plugged in, but it is not attached to a device, then it is still converting energy.

Did you know?

If chargers were unplugged when not in use, enough electricity could be saved in the UK every year to power 115,000 homes.

Source: bbc.co.uk | Last updated: 22nd January 2009

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