40 Tips to Help You Save Money and Reduce Energy Consumption

Have you ever wondered how with a few changes around the home, you could reduce your energy consumption and more importantly save money? We’ve got you covered, with 40 money saving tips, separated into individual categories, below.

• Water Wise – Save 5,500 litres of water a year by fixing your leaky taps.
• Heating – Reduce your heating by 1⁰C and save £75 a year.
• Laundry – Cut your energy bills by £100 by reducing your tumble dryer usage.
• Around the Home – Slash £250 on your energy bills with loft insulation.
• Switch Off and Save – Turn off standby and save £35.
• Kitchen – Switch your cooker off 5 minutes earlier and save money.
• Fridge / Freezer – Keep appliance at the right temperature and save money.

Water Wise:

1. If you have a hot water tank in your home, insulate it. Insulation for your hot water tank can cost as little as £15, but save you around £45 a year on your heating bills.
2. Fix your leaking taps. You’d be surprised at how much these could be costing you and the environment. Up to 5,500 litres of water is wasted a year due to leaking taps, which according to Waterwise.org is enough to fill a paddling pool every week for the entire summer. Or put simply, fixing a leaking tap could save you over £18 per year.
3. Keep an eye on your water consumption. An everyday task such as cleaning your teeth can consume copious amounts of water. It’s estimated leaving the tap running as you brush your teeth could waste 6 litres per minute, whereas turning the tap off can save you up to 18 litres every time you clean your teeth – saving you money. [Source: Waterwise] 
4. Get shower savvy. Previously it has been suggested we spend an average of 8 minutes in the shower, equating to £416 being wasted by the average UK family keeping clean. It’s therefore time to get shower savvy.Replace your shower head with an energy-efficient one and a faucet which includes aerators. This will reduce the amount of water delivered from taps and shower heads by as much as 50%, whilst still allowing you to enjoy a shower. Making such changes is also said to save as much as £70 per year.
5. You may not think it, but the amount of rain we have in the UK could be a blessing in disguise as it can help us save money. By saving rainwater using a water butt, we can reduce the amount of water we’re using from the taps by using rain water on the garden.
6. Reduce your water temperature – having the hot water turned up too high is money down the drain. Ideally, you should not set the hot water thermostat any higher than 60⁰C.
7. Shower rather than bath as showers use less water. You can further reduce your water consumption whilst washing by taking what is known as a “navy shower”. In short, this is done by having a 3 minute shower which sees you get in, turn the water on to get wet, before turning the water off. Once the water is off, lather up then turn the water back on, rinse and get out.
8. Tackle limescale. It’s estimated even a 1.6mm coating of limescale on an appliance can reduce the performance by 12%. In short, this means it’ll need to work harder to reach its optimum performance, using more energy, costing you more money.Regularly using a limescale remover can help keep your appliances clean and working to their full potential.

Heating:

1. Turn your heating down by 1⁰C. Whilst you’re unlikely to drastically notice the change in temperature, you will notice the difference in your heating bills. A reduction in your heating temperature can also see a £75 decrease per year in your utility bills.
2. If your radiator is fitted to an external wall, you could be losing valuable heat. Bring the heat back into your room by placing a radiator panel onto the wall behind the radiator, as this will reflect the heat. An even cheaper alternative is to line the wall behind the radiator with kitchen foil.
3. It is said the home loses most of its heat through the windows, so make sure all your windows are double glazed. Not only can installing double glazing make your home warmer and quieter, saving you roughly £175 per year, but it can also reduce condensation build up. [Source: Southern Electric]
4. Keep doors shut when it’s cold outside to help prevent heat from escaping. We also recommend turning radiators off in any room which you do not use on a regular basis otherwise you’ll find yourself heating a room needlessly.

Laundry:

1. If it’s dry outside, hang your washing out. This will reduce the amount of time your tumble dryer is used and reduce your energy consumption. Limiting the use of your tumble dryer can also help you save between £30 and £100 per year.
2. Did you know your iron uses a considerable amount of electricity? Reduce the amount of time you spend ironing and save the pounds – one way is to iron the clothes before they are fully dry, as this makes them easier and quicker to iron.
3. Cut your energy costs by 25% by using tumble dryer balls. Such an accessory creates gaps between the clothing as it is tumbled, enabling the heated air to circulate between the items, resulting in quicker drying times.
4. If you use a tumble dryer, keep the filters free from debris by cleaning them after every use. This will ensure your appliance is working to its full potential and no extra stress is being placed upon it.
5. Where possible use an economy programme on your washing machine, as such a programme uses less water and energy, helping you save money on utility bills.But to keep your washing machine working at its optimum level, once a month carry out a maintenance wash with a limescale and detergent remover. Such a wash will help keep the internal components of your appliance clean and the washing machine running at its best.
6. Never, as tempting as it may be, dry your clothes on the radiator. Doing so will require your boiler to work harder. It can also increase the risk of damp occurring in your home, potentially costing you more money later down the line.

Around The Home:

1. Introduce loft insulation. It has been suggested by Which? that the introduction of such insulation has the possibility to slash energy bills, by roughly £250, whilst the payback time is considerably quick, particularly if you didn’t have insulation in the first place.Along with introducing loft insulation consider cavity wall insulation, which can save you roughly the same amount of loft insulation. As an added benefit, your home may be eligible for free insulation from an energy provider.
2. Use letterbox and keyhole covers to reduce the risks of drafts coming into your home. You can also prevent drafts by introducing draft excluders around doors and windows. The introduction of these is said to be able to help homeowners save roughly £25 per year on heating bills.
3. It’s a little known fact, but cheap standard light bulbs are costing you more than you think in the long run. For example, a Halogen bulb costs roughly £2 to purchase, but can cost as much as £12 to run and save only 25% energy. An LED bulb on the other hand is more expensive to purchase, but costs less than £3.50 to run and saves up to 80% energy.
4. When furnishing your home, there are steps you can take to save money on your heating and energy bills. One is to fit thermal or heavy curtains. These will help keep the heat in and as an added tip, we recommend drawing the curtains at dusk during the winter, to help prevent heat escaping from your home.
5. Replace your old boiler. Roughly 60% of what you spend on your energy bill each year is through your boiler. If you don’t currently have an A-rated high-efficiency condensing boiler, it may be worth considering getting one installed, as it could help you save as much as £300 a year. [Source: Energy-UK.org]
6. Use energy efficient appliances. Whenever you buy a new appliance, look out for the most energy efficient. Such an appliance will be the cheapest to run. It has also been estimated that switching to the most energy efficient rated appliance could cut your energy consumption by up to a third, compared to an old machine.
7. Consider installing an energy monitor. These highlight how much electricity is being used currently in your home, how much has been used in the last week / month, etc. The monitors also advise what your energy consumption is costing you, and according to USwitch, you can get a monitor for as little as £30.
8. Consider switching energy supplier. For ease and convenience, many of us opt to remain with the same energy supplier, with it being estimated that only 15% of homes change their tariff each year.Yet switching your energy supplier could save you considerable amounts, whilst the process is relatively quick and simple, especially when using a comparison website – or better still, opt for a comparison website which offers cash back.
9. Whether you’re putting your washing machine or dishwasher on, make sure it’s a full load you’re washing; as this will use less energy than two half loads.

Switch Off:

1. If you’re not using an electrical appliance switch it off at the mains. Some appliances can still use electricity when they are plugged in but are not in use. It’s estimated that UK household spend an average of £35 on energy bills just by leaving their appliances on standby. [Source: Energy-UK.org]
2. Stop overcharging. Roughly 49% of us are overcharging our appliances, but did you know even when they’re fully charged if they remain plugged in they will continue to drain electricity – and your money. Combat this by not leaving your gadgets charging overnight.
3. Consider switching off your broadband modem router at night. Although the router doesn’t use too much electricity when on, every penny matters and by turning it off at night and when you’re out, you’ll save a few pennies.

Kitchen:

1. Switch off your cooker five minutes earlier than the recommended cooking time. The majority of food will continue to cook as your oven cools, whilst you’ll be using less energy. Alternatively, during the winter once you’ve turned the oven off leave its door open as it cools to heat the kitchen.
2. When cooking on the hob, use a saucepan the same size as the hob ring. This will prevent heat from escaping. We also recommend where possible, using a lid as you cook, as this will result in the food taking less time to heat, meaning less energy is used.
3. Let your dishwasher do the hard work and don’t worry about pre-washing your pots under a running tap. Instead, just scrape any remaining food into the bin before placing your pots and pans into the appliance.
4. When boiling vegetables, reduce the energy consumption by only using enough water to cover the top of the vegetables. We would also recommend boiling the water in your kettle first, as this will make cooking quicker.
5. Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need and always use fresh water. Using more water than required results in the kettle taking longer to boil, costing you more in energy consumption.Re-boiling water can also impact on the taste and lead to a build up of minerals and limescale which will ultimately hinder the performance of the appliance.

Fridge / Freezer:

1. Keep your fridge and freezer at the right temperatures. For a fridge the perfect temperature is between 3⁰C and 5⁰C, whilst your freezer should be -18⁰C. If either are warmer, they’ll need to work harder to keep your food cold and this will result in more energy being used (and more money being spent).
2. Avoid putting your fridge and freezer too close to heat sources, such as the cooker. Placing them close to heat will require the motor to work harder to stay cool.
3. Looking to defrost food? Do this overnight in the fridge, rather than using the microwave. Not only is this a safer form of defrosting but it also uses less energy as your microwave isn’t being used unnecessarily.
4. Keep your fridge and freezer full. This doesn’t necessary mean continuously stocking up with food as we know this can be costly, but it’s advisable to keep each appliance as full as possible otherwise you’re just cooling empty space and making the appliance work harder.A top tip is to place bottles of water into your fridge to keep it full, and to use scrunched up newspaper to fill spaces in the freezer.
5. Check the coils on your fridge and freezer. These play a vital role in helping your appliance work to its full potential, but they are susceptible to being covered in dust. Such dirt will result in your appliance having to work harder to reach its optimum temperature.

Whilst each of these tips can help save you money, you can also use the Home Energy Check from the Energy Saving Trust to find out how you can achieve lower energy bills and a more comfortable home.

Tags: LED Bulbs, Reduce Energy Consumption, Save Money