Energy saving tips for the home

Energy bills may be coming down, but they’re still higher than they were. Discover how to save energy at home to save even more money on future bills.

The question of how to save electricity and gas to cut your energy bills has always been important. That’s still true even as gas and electric bills continue to fall from their 2022-2023 highs. There’s never been a better time to find ways to save energy that will put more money in your pocket and help the environment too. Better still, some of the most effective ways to save electricity and gas won’t cost a penny to implement. 

Whether you’ve a few hours to spare or even just a few minutes, discover how to potentially cut hundreds of pounds from future bills.

Energy saving tips for the living room

One of the biggest tips associated with your living room is the idea that many appliances are considered ‘vampire devices’. This means that when they’re left in standby, they continue to drain power and help rack up the bills.

The problem isn’t as bad as it was – TVs, set-top boxes and other devices are now much better at minimising their power use when in standby mode, but try not to leave them switched fully on when they’re not being used.

You should also look in each device’s settings for a power or eco mode as well as sleep timers – these can minimise the power draw even in use, as well as more efficiently handle standby modes where the device doesn’t go into a deep sleep.

Mobile charging

It’s tempting to charge your mobile devices overnight, so you wake up with a fully charged battery. However, even if your charger has an automatic cut-off feature, it’ll still be drip-feeding the battery for longer than necessary. This adds to your energy bills, but it’s not good for your battery’s health either.

Try to get in the habit of charging during the day – consider investing in a solar-powered charging bank, which can power your devices for free during daylight hours. Also check your phone’s power-saving settings - if your phone can run longer between charges, this will help to extend its lifespan.

Energy saving tips for the kitchen

Read on to discover how to cut energy costs in one of your home’s biggest energy drains: the kitchen.

Kettle

The kettle is one of the kitchen’s worst offenders, typically rated at 3kWh. If you’re constantly filling it up for hot drinks you can easily add £1-2 to your daily bill, which soon adds up. Here’s how to use it to best effect:

• Only boil the amount of water you need at any given time. If necessary, buy a kettle with a water gauge to help judge the right amount – you’ll soon be saving money and time as the water boils much quicker.
• Need some boiling water for the hob? It’s quicker and cheaper to use the kettle to boil the water rather than heat it on the hob.

Dishwasher

If you can’t handle washing by hand, then the following tips will help your dishwasher do its job for less money:

• Only use your dishwasher when full – you’ll use the same amount of water and electricity whether it’s full or half-full.
• Avoid prewashing dishes – simply scrape off the leftovers into your food waste bin before putting plates and bowls into the dishwasher.
• Use the eco setting – this takes longer to heat the water but can reduce energy usage by up to 20%.
• Skip the drying cycle – when the washing cycle finishes, open the dishwasher to let everything dry naturally.

Fridges and freezers

Your fridge and freezer work around the clock to keep your food fresh. Here’s how to cut their sizeable contribution to your annual electricity bill:

• Keep your fridge at between 3-5°C and your freezer to -18°C. This ensures food is kept fresh while reducing your energy bills. If your fridge’s dial doesn’t provide a temperature gauge, you can pick up a fridge thermometer for as little as £1.
• Let cooked food cool before placing it in the fridge or freezer to reduce the amount of energy required to chill or freeze it.Your fridge is most efficient when it’s reasonably full (but not crammed). If it’s looking bare, temporarily fill the space with bottles of water or even stuffed newspaper.
• Don’t leave the freezer or fridge door open for long periods to avoid it wasting energy cooling its contents again.
• Make sure you leave a gap – around 10 cm – between the back of your freezer and the wall. This gives the coils plenty of space to efficiently transfer heat away from the refrigerating components. Regularly dust or vacuum this area (with the freezer switched off) to keep it clear.
• Defrost your freezer every 6-12 months to keep it working at peak efficiency.
• Keep an eye on the door seals – keep them in good condition or replace them if necessary to keep cold air locked in.
• >Don’t forget to switch your freezer’s fast freeze off if you use it after defrosting.

Cooking

The following tips help reduce the added cost of heating your food:

Reduce your oven usage

• Use your microwave instead of your oven when you can. Not only does food cook more quickly, but you’ll also save loads of electricity.
• Alternatively, use an air fryer. There’s no preheating involved, and food cooks quicker in the fryer’s confined space. Make sure you buy a model large enough to meet your needs.
• The most energy efficient alternative to the oven is a slow cooker. These consume just a fraction of the energy of your oven – under 0.2kWh in some cases. That compares to 2-2.5kWh for a typical fan oven.

Cooking on the hob

• When cooking on the hob, use the correct sized hob for the pan you’re using.
• Use the smallest practical saucepan when cooking food, but the largest pan when heating liquids, as they heat quicker over a larger surface area.
• Place lids on your pans to trap the heat and speed up cooking times. Consider switching off the hob 5 minutes before cooking completes. There should be enough heat in the pain to finish cooking.
• Consider using a pressure cooker to speed up cooking meat, beans and stews.

Efficient use of your oven

• Set a timer when preheating your oven so you don’t leave it empty for longer than needed.
• Keep your oven door clean – that way you can see inside and judge when your cooking is finished without having to keep opening the door. Every time it’s opened, it loses up to 25°C of heat.
• Switch off the oven 10 minutes before cooking time is completed – the ambient heat should be enough to finish cooking your food.
• Look to cook bigger meals that can be used on 2 or more days. Store leftovers in the fridge (for next day) or freezer (for later). They can then be quickly reheated in the microwave.
• After cooking, leave the oven door open if you’ve no further use for it. This can help heat the kitchen for free.
• When your old appliance needs replacing, take the time to source a more energy-efficient alternative. Find out more with our guide to the cost of running appliances.

Energy saving tips for the utility room

The following tips will help slash the cost of washing and drying clothes:

• Wash at 30°C (or even 15°C) instead of 40°C.
• If there’s an eco option, use it – it extends the washing time, but you use significantly less energy to heat the water.
• Reduce the number of washes per week by only washing full loads – but don’t overload the drum.
• Make sure your clothes are properly spun out to reduce their drying time.Avoid using the tumble dryer whenever possible – look to dry outside or indoors on an airer.
• Consider a heated clothes airer for winter use, which can consume as little as 0.3kWh. There are 2 main types: rack-style airers and heated pods that dry clothes on hangers. Remember to leave a window slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
• If you can’t live without your tumble dryer, keep it in a warm room, and regularly clean the filters and vents to maximise energy efficiency.

Energy saving tips for the bathroom

There are plenty of ways you can save water in the bathroom. Get out of the habit of leaving the tap running when cleaning your teeth, for example. Also investigate ways of reducing the amount of water used with each flush. Turn your gaze on your shower and you can save electricity too – here’s how:

• Swap baths for showers – swapping just 1 bath for a shower each week could save you £9-15 on your energy bills according to the Energy Saving Trust.
• Reduce your shower time to 4 minutes. Better still, get in the habit of only using your shower to rinse off. This simple trick could slash the amount of water and electricity you use even further.

Energy saving tips for lighting

Now that LED bulbs are on the scene, there’s no excuse not to replace those old energy-guzzling bulbs that belong in the last century. LEDs don’t just use even less electricity than their predecessor, the CFL (compact fluorescent lamp). They also provide instant brightness equivalent to your old incandescent bulbs and will last a lot longer too.

The following table helps you choose the correct wattage bulb depending on the type you need:

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