Free and cheap actions you can take to save energy
Understand the building you live in: it will have many individual ways to gain and lose heat as well as unique people who live in it!
Read your meter or smart meter and you will notice which items use the most power. These are usually appliances that produce heat, such as the kettle (2.5 kW). If you need help with meter reading, contact Ovesco. Smart meters also record gas use so it’s possible to see how much is used over a short period such as for cooking meals.
Free:
Whether your heat is supplied by gas, electricity or oil, there are ways to use this supply better. Effective ways include, in approximate order of savings:
Turning down the thermostat by 10 C
Turning down the thermostat by 20 C
These could save £100 or more.
18 degrees is fine for healthy adults but slightly higher temperatures are recommended for the very old and very young. When it is cold, do not change the setting, but use the programme to make the heating come on sooner. Because of the cold outside, the boiler takes longer to heat up the house. Wear warmer clothes instead.
Delay turning heating on until November and turn it off earlier in the spring.
Lower the flow temperature of your combi boiler – details here https://moneysavingboilerchallenge.com/walkthrough/ Gas boilers with a hot water tank can also be adjusted but this is more complicated. This makes the boiler operate in its most efficient way.
Could save £65
Take a 4-minute shower: use a timer.
Could save £50
Avoid using the tumble dryer: dry clothes on racks inside, or hang outside in good weather.
Could save £45
Keep doors of rooms you don’t want to heat closed, and even put something under the door to stop draughts. Turn the radiator down but not off, to avoid the room getting damp. Bleed radiators if they have cold air-filled space at the top. Look for videos on line, e.g. https://youtu.be/sjyEkLwHtTc or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IP54Kbgnv0
Switch off standby especially if there are a lot of appliances. It’s safe to switch off most things at the plug except the fridge and freezer! Items such as dishwashers and washing machines can be turned off at the wall. However, it’s EU law that TVs and other devices made since 2013 can’t use more than 0.5 watts in standby mode. To show the scale of it, a TV left on standby for 20 hours a day would cost about 80p a year. (Money Saving Expert)
Could save £40
Wash at 30 degrees and reduce number of washes
Could save £22
Lower the flow temperature of your combi boiler – details here https://moneysavingboilerchallenge.com/walkthrough/ Gas boilers with a tank can also be adjusted but this is more complicated.
Could save £65
Reduce your dishwasher use by only using it when full
Could save £11
Swap one bath a week for a 4 minute shower
Could save £8
Don’t overfill the kettle
Saving approx £20
Turn off the lights in unused rooms
Could save £7
Shut curtains and blinds at night – this prevents heat radiating out from the room in the same way as light does.
All the above figures are annual savings at July 2024 prices; from Energy Saving Trust (EST) https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/ https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-myths/ https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-tips/ |
For a small amount of money
Draught-proof windows, floors, doors and unused chimneys; 30% of heat can be lost through uncontrolled draughts. Make sure the gas boiler has enough ventilation: most get air from outside but old ones may not. Don’t block any air vents, to avoid risk of condensation and hence mould.
Typical saving £70
Wherever a pipe enters or leaves the house, make sure that the hole is properly filled, e.g. sink and bath drains.
Downlights can be draughty: Thermahoods can deal with this.
Draught proof around the loft hatch as you would with a door.
Top up hot water tank and pipe insulation
Could save £35
Secondary magnetic glazing is inexpensive, long lasting and easy to do. See Jill Goulder’s guide and video: http://www.jillgoulder.plus.com/green/Magstrip.html
If you are not confident about doing the work yourself, a handy person could follow the instructions in the video and on the website.
An even cheaper secondary glazing option is stick-on transparent film: it will last a season and is quite easy to apply.
Fit LED lightbulbs – these use less energy than CFLs, and much less than all others.
Put reflective panels behind radiators: the Energy Saving Trust agrees that these could help cut energy use. They reflect heat from the radiator back into the room, so it doesn’t escape through external walls.
Heavy lined curtains help reduce heat loss and make the room feel warmer. Thick full length door curtains help in the same way: they can be on a rail (a portiere) that lifts when the door is opened.
For an inspiring talk about all this see Nicki Myers’ presentation on the Lewes Climate Hub website – she calculates that her measures will save £788 a year on energy costs for an average family in a typical home. https://lewesclimatehub.org/the-affordable-home-retrofit