Saving Energy

• Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1˚C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% and could save around £60 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
• You can reduce the amount of energy your existing boiler consumes by up to 40% by controlling it with an efficient thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.
• Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60˚C/140˚F.
• Insulate your hot-water tank & lag your pipes.
• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.
• Always turn off the lights when you leave the room.
• Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
• If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
• Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you’re using an electric kettle).
• A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they are fully turned off!
• Use energy saving light bulbs*. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £45 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £70 over its lifetime if you are replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.
• Avoid tumble drying – dry clothes outdoors when possible to save money and energy.
• Cover pots and pans when cooking - they will boil a lot quicker.
• Rechargeable batteries cost about twice as much as conventional ones but can be used hundreds of times.
  
  
  
  *Fitting energy saving light bulbs in all your property’s ‘fixed’ fittings prior to an Energy Report, can in some cases make a rating difference of one band.