Cheap and Simple Energy Saving Tips

If you would like a copy of our free energy advice booklet giving help and advice on how to save energy, please contact Mr Cliff Duff, Energy Conservation Officer , details are shown at the bottom of this page. 

Draughts

To eliminate draughts and wasted heat use an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors.

Stop draughts and heat escaping through floorboards and skirting boards by filling gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant. 

Make sure your windows are draught proofed. A low cost, short-term alternative to double glazing is to tape polythene across window frames. 

Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows. Tuck curtains behind radiators, they block the heat if hanging down over them.

Enquire about the Free Warm front grant that can provide free draught proofing (subject to conditions) on Energy Efficiency Grants and  Discounts.

Heating

Heating too warm? Don't waste your money - turn your thermostat down by 1°C. It could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. And if you're going away for winter, leave the thermostat on a low setting to provide protection from freezing at minimum cost. Saving: around £30 per year.

Turn central heating off if you are not in the house. Set the timer to turn off the central heating at least half an hour before you go to bed or out of the house.

Mount aluminium foil on corrugated cardboard and slip behind radiators which are fitted against outside walls, this will reflect the heat back into the room.

Check furniture is not too close to radiators or heaters, this blocks the heat from the rest of the room.

Never open windows or doors to cool down a room, turn down the heating instead.

Use the suns free heat. Open internal doors of sunny rooms to let the warmth travel through your home.

Water Heating

Hot water: Of course it should be hot, but it doesn't need to be scalding. For most people, setting the cylinder thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing and washing. Saving: up to £10 per year.

Plug it: Always put the plug in your basin or sink. Leaving hot water taps running with it removed is like washing money down the plughole.

Take a shower instead of a bath as it uses only two-fifths of the amount of water needed for a bath.

A dripping hot water tap could waste enough water to fill a bath a day, so fix dripping taps quickly.

Lighting and Appliances

Lights: Always turn them off when you leave a room and adjust your curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible during the day.  

Televisions, videos, stereos, computers, cordless phones: To cut down on wasted energy, avoid leaving appliances on standby and remember not to leave them on charge unnecessarily. But check the operation manual to make sure that this won't reset the appliance's memory. 

Fridges: Don't leave the door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape. Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge; allow it to cool down first. Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply. If it tends to frost up quickly, check the door seal. And if you absolutely have to site your fridge next to a cooker or boiler, leave a good gap between them. 

Washing machine and tumble dryers: Always wash a full load and if you can't, use a half-load or economy programme if your machine has one. Always use the low temperature programme bearing in mind that modern washing powders will be just as effective at lower temperatures. And don't put really wet clothes into a tumble dryer; wring them out or spin-dry them first. It's much faster and it will save you money. 

Dishwashers: Try to use the low temperature programme, and ensure you wash a full load.

Pots and pans: Choose the right size pan for the food and cooker (the base should just cover the cooking ring) and keep lids on when cooking. With gas, the flames only need to heat the bottom of the pan. If they lick up the side then you're wasting heat. And don't use more water than you need because it doesn't only waste energy, it spoils food. 

Kettles: Heat the amount of water you really need and if you're using an electric kettle, make sure you cover the elements. Jug-type kettles need less water as they have smaller elements. 

Taps: In just one day, a dripping hot water tap can waste energy and enough water to fill a bath. Make sure they're off. 

Showers: An ordinary shower uses only two-fifths of the water needed for a bath. If you don't have a shower why not buy special attachments for your bath taps? They're widely available. 

Things you could do over the next week or two.

Exterior doors: To eliminate draughts and wasted heat use an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Remember, however, that ventilation is also important, especially if you have open fires, gas fires or a boiler with a flue. If you have a chimney, get it swept regularly, and check your airbricks for any blockages. Cost: around £5. 

Letterboxes and keyholes: Nylon brush seals or a spring flap for the letterbox can help. And a cover on the keyhole. 

Lightbulbs: If you use a particular light for an average of four hours or more a day, then replace it with an energy-saving equivalent - which will use around a quarter of the electricity and last up to 12 times longer. Energy efficient bulbs cost around £5 each, but will give you a saving on your bills of £10 over the year. 

Hot water tank: An insulating jacket for your hot water cylinder costs just a few pounds, and will pay for itself within months. Fit a British Standard jacket that's at least 7.5cm thick. This'll cost around £10 and will give a saving of £10-£15 a year. 

Hot water pipes: these can be insulated to stop heat escaping from them to good effect. And the best pipes to insulate are the ones between the boiler and hot water cylinder. Cost: around £1 per metre. Saving: around £5 per year. 

Things you could do within the next year.

Boiler: Replacing a 15-year old model could save you over 20% on your fuel bills, around 32% if you're installing a condensing boiler and up to 40% if you also install good heating controls. 

Wall and Loft Insulation: This can be the most cost-effective way to save energy around the home. Up to 33% of the heat in your home is lost through the walls and 20% through the roof. Free grants and discounts are available for cavity wall and loft insulation.

Double glazing: Your home could be losing up to 20 per cent of its heat through single glazed and poorly insulated window frames. With double glazing you can actually cut these losses by over a half.