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8 low-cost (or free!) ways to save up to £457 on your energy bills

Updated: Dec 8, 2022



The way we use energy can have a significant impact on our bills.


There is an opportunity for all of us to save money by changing the way we use energy in our day-to-day lives but nowadays, it’s difficult to know what activities can have the greatest impact. That's where our Energy Saving Handbook can help...


The Handbook has 5 chapters, which cover a wide range of accessible actions you can take to reduce your energy bills. Here, we've picked out some of the easiest, quickest and cheapest ways to start saving...



1. SAVE UP TO £145*/year by turning your heating down by only 1 degree.


The World Health Organisation suggests 18 degrees is the ideal temperature for healthy and well-dressed people and 20 degrees for those who are older, very young or unwell.



2. SAVE UP TO £75/year by adjusting radiator thermostats to set and maintain the temperature on a room-by-room basis.


They are usually marked with a scale from 0 – 6, where zero (0) is off and six (6) is fully open. Aim for the lowest setting that keeps the room at a comfortable temperature, as this will reduce the volume of hot water, using less energy and saving you money. - Energy Saving Trust




3. SAVE AROUND £22/year by washing at 30°C rather than at a higher temperature and aim to reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.





4. SAVE UP TO £25/year by draughtproofing doors and windows.


You can purchase basic materials such as self-adhesive foam strips and letterbox brushes/flaps from DIY stores. You could also get creative and upcycle old clothes to make a DIY draught excluder for your front door to stop cold air from getting in and internal doors to make rooms even cosier. Check out CREW Energy's how-to guide.



5. SAVE AROUND £25/year by washing up in a bowl rather than using a running tap.


Heating water for bathing and household chores can be a significant contributor to

energy usage so reducing the amount of hot water you use will have a noticeable impact on your energy bills.




6. SAVE AN AVERAGE OF £65*/year by turning appliances off at the plug and overnight and not leaving devices on standby (which is safer, too!)


An easy way to do this is to use plug sockets that can be turned on and off via your phone. Alternatively, you could use cheaper timer plugs to schedule turning appliances off.


7. SAVE UP TO £40/year by switching to LED bulbs and SAVE a further £25/year by ensuring that lights are switched off when leaving the room.


You can save £2-3 per year for every traditional halogen bulb you switch to a similarly bright LED bulb. If the average UK household replaced all of their bulbs with LEDs, it would cost about £100 and save about £40 a year on bills - Energy Saving Trust


8. SAVE AROUND £35/year by installing radiator reflector panels


Installing radiator reflector panels helps reduce the amount of heat lost directly through walls, especially if you have solid brick walls like many homes in the UK, and the payback period can be under a year. They are very easy to install and widely available - your local DIY store should stock them.


By implementing all of these small changes on a daily basis, you could SAVE UP TO £457 over a year. Simple actions can make a big difference.



LOOKING FOR MORE TIPS TO SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY WHILST REDUCING YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?


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* Please note: these figures differ from those stated in our Energy Saving Handbook as they have been updated by Energy Saving Trust.

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