Energy Saving Top Tips

With the increase in energy bills up 2% this month, it’s definitely a sign to get ahead of the game this winter when it comes to saving the pennies. But what practical steps can you take to actively reduce the amount of expenditure over the cooler months of the year? Here are our top tips.

Install LED Lightbulbs

This might seem obvious but if you’re not convinced of the difference this can make, please think again. Changing all the light bulbs in your home to LEDs could save up to £65 a year on your electricity bill and they only cost between £1 and £5 each. They also last much longer than traditional halogen bulbs which saves even more money.

Service your Boiler

If it’s in your diary year on year, you won’t forget to get this important step ticked off. The cost is between £50 to £100 but could save you a huge amount more.

A tuned boiler will run efficiently and burn less fuel compared to one that is not clean, which could save you approximately £300 a year on energy bills, as regular maintenance improves efficiency by about 10%.

Draught Proofing

Whether you live in an older property or contemporary, ensuring you seal the gaps about all the doors, windows and floorboards, not forgetting the chimneys, will mitigate heat loss and help maintain an even temperature throughout your home.

Depending on the size of your property, professional draught proofing could mean an outlay of between £100 – 250, however you could do this yourself, for example, by purchasing some draught excluders for your doors. Not letting in much cold air at the colder times of year will lead to less energy needed to keep your property warm. This could save you up to around £85 a year in the UK and this adds up year on year.

Add or Improve Insulation

An effective way to improve the overall energy efficiency of your home is to add or update your insulation. However, as has been in the news recently, do ensure your provider is recommended, as poor workmanship can lead to damp and mould in your walls. This will cost upwards from £500, again depending on the size of your roof, however this measure will create savings for decades ahead. Other forms of insulation improvement include underfloor, cavity wall and solid wall. For more detail, take a look at this Rightmove article.

Insulate Tanks, Pipes and Radiators

If your hot water tank is a few years old, you could put a jacket on it for a marked improvement in the heat loss from uninsulated hot water cylinders. Your current tank insulation should be at least 80mm thick, otherwise do consider adding a further layer. Hot water pipe insulation is equally important, since a lot of heat can be lost in the pipes around the boiler and your airing cupboard, so do check these are protected. The potential annual saving if you do all these things is around £70.

Install Thermostatic Controls

This is a relatively simple method of helping you control your heating efficiency so that you can keep a keen eye on the levels within the home and act quickly to save pennies, even when not at home.

It’s an investment in future savings, since it will cost you about £300, but is worth it for the long-term best control of the temperature in your home. For example, if your invest in a smart thermostat it can adjust according to your variable diary or changeable weather forecasts to maximise savings even remotely.

Most of us leave our thermostat up higher than it needs to be. If you turn down your thermostat, for example, from 22˚C to 21˚C , this could save you £90 a year.

Other simple ideas that you could carry out yourself at home for energy cost savings include bleeding your radiators to remove trapped air and improve efficiency, closing your curtains at night to stop heat escaping thought the glass and the easiest one that we like, wear more layers and cosy up with some winter woollies!

If you’re looking to invest in some larger measures to boost your energy efficiency and save money, consider investing in a new boiler, solar panels (for more information about solar considerations, take a look at this Rightmove article), or floor insulation.

For more advice on how to optimise your energy use at home, take a look at this helpful article from the Energy Saving Trust.