With people across the country feeling the effects of rising prices due to the cost-of-living crisis and now the plummeting temperatures, we have compiled a list of our top 20 low cost, energy saving tips:
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Do you have single glazed windows? Sellotape some cling-film across the inside frame, then use a hairdryer to seal it. A cost-effective substitution for double glazing.
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Place draught excluders on the front, back and living room doors (or whatever room you occupy the most. Here is a guide to making your own draught excluder.
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If you can’t get draught excluders, another way to keep warm is to shut doors in each room – this will keep the heat in, meaning time with the heating on can be reduced.
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Run your boiler at 60 degrees instead of 80 – boilers are often set by plumbers to run hot, but you can get more heat from less gas or electricity by running it slightly lower.
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British Gas say even dropping your temperature by one degree could save you £115 on average for a standard home. Turning the thermostat down from 21 degrees to 20 doesn’t sound like much but it could reduce your annual heating bill.
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Are your radiators always on? Make sure to turn down or off the radiators in rooms you are not using when you have the heating on.
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Shorten the time you spend in the shower – this will not only reduce water usage but also save money on the energy used to heat that water. The suggested time is 4 minutes, which could save a typical household £95 a year, and another £60 if metered.
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Turn the shower on to get wet, turn it off when lathering up then turn it back on when you are ready to rinse.
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Fitting a water efficient shower head could save £45 on gas bills and if metered, an extra £25 each year. This article from Which? suggests some of the best eco-shower heads available from places like Amazon and Screwfix.
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Alternatively, if you think you could tolerate it, you could have a cold shower. It will not only reduce your energy usage, but it’s said to have many physical and mental health benefits.
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If making a pasta dish, only cook it for 2 minutes then cover the pot and leave it for a minute longer than the normal cooking time. This should cook the pasta whilst reducing the amount of energy used.
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Placing lids on pots when cooking can reduce the amount of energy used.
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Also don’t waste energy by boiling water in a giant pan, it only needs to cover the food.
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Batch cooking and using the microwave as much as you can is more cost effective and energy efficient.
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If you’re batch cooking in the oven, leave the door open when done so it heats your home.
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You could invest in a thermos flask – this way you would only need to fill the thermos once - it will make 8-10 cups of tea.
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Are you charging your phone overnight? If so, you may be wasting some energy unnecessarily as the average mobile phone can take 3 hours to fully charge.
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Continue to hang your washing outside in winter, if possible. This may only dry your clothes 80% but that means 80% less energy required to complete drying in a dryer or an airer.
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When it’s sunny – open blinds, curtains, and room doors. Let the natural warmth of the sun heat your home. It can raise the temperature of a room by up to a degree, even when it’s cold outside.
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Foil on a wall behind radiators (shiny side outwards) will reflect heat back into the room instead of being absorbed by the wall.
