Article 7 September 2022 Energy saving tips We know that the cost-of-living crisis is on many of your minds at the moment and a lot of you will be worried about rising costs of your energy bills. We have put together some handy energy saving tips that we wanted to share to help you save some pennies at home. Here are 10 ways to save energy at home: Do full loads Save up your washing and do full loads wherever possible, and at low temperatures (there is often no need to run at more than 30°C with todays effective detergents) to maximise your savings 2. Use the eco setting On your dishwasher or boiler, the eco setting heats water more slowly, using less energy. You will get the same end result, it just takes a little longer. 3. Don’t use standby mode Unless switched off at the wall, appliances like your tv, smart speakers, digi-boxes continue to use energy even when not in use. Avoid paying for energy you don’t use by unplugging them when you can. Turn it off! 4. Be careful with that kettle When making a tea or coffee, most of us fill the kettle right up Instead, just fill up the number of cups you are making with water and put that in the kettle instead. 5. Switch to LED lightbulbs Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household electricity consumption so making the switch to more efficient LEDs can help to save money too. 6. Consider using your microwave more Microwaves only heat your food and not the air around it, therefore use less energy than an oven. If you do use an oven, consider batch cooking and cooking several dishes at once. Why not batch cook on your days off and then re-heat your meals in the microwave throughout the week? 7. Unplug your chargers As soon as your device is fully charged, unplug it! Most of us over charge our phones, laptops and other devices. This saves energy but also prolongs battery life. It could save you £60 a year on your electricity bills. 8. Close your curtains at night In the day it’s important to try to use as much natural – and free – heat (sunlight) as possible. But at night closing your curtains will help your home retain that heat. This helps keep warmth in the room, especially those with older windows. 9. Turn your thermostat down According to the Energy Saving Trust, lowering your thermostat from 20°C to 19°C for example can save 10% on your heating bill. 10. Bleed your radiators Bleed your radiators – making sure there isn’t air trapped in your radiators creating cold spots allows you to get more surface area heat out of our radiators
