Tips for saving money and energy

You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

Save on standby energy

Unless your home is very new, you will lose some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, or through the chimney. Potential saving of £45 a year

Read more about draught proofing

Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £20 a year on your annual energy bills.

When to turn off the lights

You can save around £28 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine more carefully. Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures. Reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.

Save energy when using your washing

Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes: dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather to save £60 a year.

Saving energy when doing laundry

Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £70 a year on their energy bills.

Saving water at home

Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath, but swapping just one bath a week with a 4-minute shower could save you £12 a year on your energy bills.

Saving water at home

Avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £11 a year on your electricity bill.

Saving energy in the kitchen

A slow cooker utilises the same amount of electricity as your bedroom light bulb. This is much less than an electric oven and cheaper than a gas fired hob. Over 15 hours of slow-cooking equates to just 1 hour in an electric oven so this appliance is a definite must-have when it comes to energy efficiency.

BBC slow cooker recipes

Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick, saving £35 a year in the process.

Find out insulating tanks and pipes

Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £14.

Energy saving when dish washing

Keep an eye on what you're spending on gas and electricity as you go along with a smart meter. It will remind you to try out energy saving techniques and you'll notice if you've accidentally left something switched on.

Find out about smart metres