How can I lower my energy bills this winter?

Saving energy doesn’t have to involve installing a shiny new heat pump or solar PV system. There are so many other small things you can do that cost either nothing or very little and can save you big money. 

Here are the top 10 energy saving tips from our friends at the Energy Saving Trust. Each will save you money and if you do all of them, all year round, expect to save around £350 on your annual energy bills.

Did you know that you can turn most electrical appliances off at the plug and it won’t upset their programming? Fridges, freezers and some satellite and TV recorders do need to be on all the time, but most don’t. If in doubt, check the appliance’s instructions. Worried you’ll forget? Buy standby savers and they’ll turn all your appliances off standby all at once. Get in the habit of doing it and you’ll be surprised at the savings. 

SAVE £45 approximately per year on your electricity bill by switching off standby.

Most people use their kettles several times a day – in fact, it’s probably the kitchen appliance you use the most. However, most of us are guilty of overfilling them with more water than we need. Just adding and boiling the water you need can save you double figures. 

Also, fit an aerator on your kitchen tap and you’ll use less hot water without affecting how it washes or rinses. They’re cheap and highly effective.

SAVE £30 approximately annually on your electricity bill by not overfilling your kettle and fitting a tap aerator.

Prefer a shower to a bath? If you keep your shower time to around the four-minute mark, you can save considerable money. Four minutes is plenty of time to get refreshed and clean. A good way to keep track of four minutes and have fun is to limit your shower to the length of one of your favourite music tracks.

SAVE £45 each year on your energy bills by limiting showers to four minutes.

Washing machines can be very energy and hot water intensive. By using lower temperature washes, you can still clean your clothes effectively, but they will be much more energy efficient. Also try dropping one wash every week by questioning whether things you’ve worn once or twice really need washing.

SAVE £27 per year on energy bills by washing on a 30°C cycle and reducing washes by one run every week.

Tumble driers are so convenient, however, they also have a big appetite when it comes to energy. Try to avoid using your tumble drier by putting your clothes out on the washing line to dry naturally. Alternatively, drying racks inside the housework, too, but make sure you open windows to ventilate rooms and avoid condensation.

SAVE £50 each year on your energy bills by avoiding using your tumble drier when you can.

Here’s another good energy saving habit to get into. If you’re not using them or don’t actually need them on, switch your lights off. If you have halogen spotlights in your home, replace them with LED light bulbs and save up to £45 per year on electricity.

SAVE £8 on your energy bills each year by simply turning your lights off when you don’t need them.

Got a hot water cylinder at home? Even if it has a loose 25mm insulation jacket, you can top it up with an inexpensive 80mm thick British Standard Jacket. This will help retain much more heat, keeping the hot water hotter for longer meaning you won’t need to reheat it as often. You can also insulate pipes and radiators for more heat savings.

SAVE £40 approximately on your annual energy bills by fitting an 80mm hot water cylinder jacket.

Baths use considerably more hot water than a shower. Swap one bath a week for a four-minute shower and you’ll not only save money, you’ll save water and help the environment, too.

SAVE £10 per week approximately by having a shower instead of a bath once a week.

Older properties in particular can lose a lot of heat through draughts. These can be all around your home but the main ones are:

• around windows and doors
• gaps in and around the floor
• down your chimney

SAVE £85 approximately per year on your energy bills if you get your windows and doors professionally draught proofed.

Not only is using a dishwasher more convenient than washing up by hand, it’s also more energy efficient. But you can save even more money by filling your dishwasher carefully and only running it when it’s full. Use the eco setting and you’ll save even more. 

SAVE £11 on your annual energy bills by filling your dishwasher and reducing its use by one run every week.