Energy saving tips, you never knew!

Energy saving tips - Complete Guide

Saving energy and money at home doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, with just a few adjustments you can start saving right away! Worldwide energy costs continue to rise as more and more homeowners look for ways to save energy and money! In this blog post, serviceteam will highlight a few top tips that hopefully can make savings at home.

These tips are easy to follow and will help you reduce energy consumption without making significant changes to your lifestyle but some changes will be necessary!

Saving energy!

If it’s done conservatively it can obviously lower your energy bills and of course, contribute to a reduced carbon footprint!

Save £££

• Turn off appliances when you're not using them.
It may be time to take a little more control over your child's electronic games consoles insisting that nothing is left on standby. Far too many households still leave TVs, PCs, laptops and many office appliances like printers etc. on when not in use! How often do you turn off the power pack to the PC, laptop or other appliances before bedtime? You never do it? Well, that could save on the energy bill. It may not be a massive saving but it will save something.

Do a simple check just how many devices are still running and consuming energy that shouldn't be? I know you won’t like this but kids (of a certain age) are the biggest culprits. Research has revealed that as much as £300+ is wasted on ‘ghost’ energy loads annually from all that stuff left on standby!

Tip: DON’T LEAVE IT ON STANDBY!
Remember, even when an appliance is turned off and on standby mode it continues to consume electricity!

Games consoles, DVD players, and satellite boxes could collectively cost you anywhere between £8, £5.50 and £5 per year respectively when left on unnecessarily. Most people are still in the ‘cheap’ energy mindset, well if you are we’ve got news for you - you will need to dig into your hard-earned savings to pay for the next energy bill if you don’t make changes!
It’s never too late to act!

- Set Xbox to energy-saving mode.
Leaving an Xbox Series X on standby could cost as much as £59 per year if in ‘Instant on mode’, compared to £2.40 per year when set to energy saver mode. Maybe it’s time to educate the kids on home economics?

- Unplug devices.
A possible saving of £25 a year is by switching off your laptop when you’ve finished using it and unplugging the TV from the socket as well. Always unplug chargers when not in use. Chargers left plugged in will consume energy over time.

According to figures published by the Energy Savings Trust in March 2022, switching appliances off completely could save you £65 a year or more!


- Boil only what you need.
Another way to save money on household bills is by boiling only as much water as you need. We all love a cuppa, so why not make a thermos flask of tea (or coffee), instead of boiling the kettle several times a day? That will save energy.

Most of the households in the UK are being converted to water meters - you pay for what you use. Here’s another way to save money on the amount of water you use when cleaning the car, watering the garden jet washing the patio etc. Why not, use a bucket of water to clean the car, fix that leaking garden tap, clean the patio/driveway only once a year, and get a few water butts to store rainwater for gardening purposes. Installing a tap aerator costs around £10 and can save up to £43 a year as it restricts the water flow and the amount of water consumed!


• Save water to reduce energy bills.
- Get a shower instead of a bath.
It's no secret that showers are more water-efficient than baths if used wisely. Showers still account for one of the most extensive uses of water in the home. However, by reducing shower time by one minute you will save money on your water and energy bills.

According to recent studies, if every household in the UK took just one minute off their shower time daily a possible saving of £60 could be achieved on their energy bills plus an additional saving on their annual water bill.

Did you know by limiting your shower time to 4-minutes could save you £20 a year? If you have a large or extended family educate/restrict them to the 4-minute rule! Be bold and share a shower (consenting adults only)!

• Heat your home wisely.
Another big expense is the average cost of heating a home. Keeping warm in winter is important but the cost of doing so is going to be a challenge until energy prices stabilise or fall. Remember the days when we timed out heating to come on well before we came home from work? There’s nothing like coming home to a nice cosy home in the middle of winter. However, times have changed and so must our habits if we want to save on energy costs?

Why not turn the heating on when you arrive home instead of before, admittedly it will take a while for the house to warm but it will make a saving.
Always turn the heating off when away from the property for any length of time i.e., when you are away for the weekend etc. If you don’t it can cost an extra £64 per year.

Don’t leave taps running whilst brushing your teeth - many people do - if you do then STOP it! Most kids need a heads up on this! Have you lowered the amount of water needed to flush the WC?

You could easily reduce it by a couple of litres and still get a decent flush. How often do you flush? Remember, we’re are looking to save money here so, follow the saying: ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down!’ It will make another saving if you do!

• Run the dishwasher at night.
How often do you switch on your dishwasher at home? Load the dishwasher and run it during off-peak cheap energy times. Most modern dishwashers have an Eco setting, saving up to 20% of your energy consumption by using less power to heat the water. Do you load the dishwasher correctly to maximise the wash? When was the last time you flicked through the dishwasher manual to check how a dishwasher should be loaded (some time we expect)? Never run it with a partial load only when full to capacity (as per the user manual).

Do you still run your washing machine with half or small loads? That’s not good energy money, or water conservation. Reduce your usage by at least two washes per week and wash at 30°C wherever possible (unless you're doing really dirty laundry). Best Buy Eco washing machines do a good job and save bills by as much as £34 a year.


• Be smart in the kitchen.
- Why not steam the vegetables instead of boiling them.
Steaming preserves more nutrients in vegetables and makes them taste better too. You can buy a vegetable steamer on the internet. Alternatively, investigate a pressure cooker that will make a huge saving on energy consumption and retain more goodness!

• Use LED bulbs.
LED light bulbs come in a range of prices, but for around £10, you can buy a LED bulb that will last approximately 25,000 hours. If you keep a light on for say 5 hours a day it will last just over 13 years - did you know that? This is compared to a traditional light bulb which will last about 1,000 hours (just over 2 years) or a halogen light bulb which will last around 2,000 hours. Switching to LED bulbs will save you money in the long run, as you will need to replace your light bulbs less often. It could save around £65 a year.

Here’s another tip, consider changing to motion-sensor light switches in areas where lights are not constantly needed, such as closets, bathrooms passage ways etc.

• Air drying as opposed to tumble drying.
Tumble dryers are one of the most energy-consuming appliances in the home. Drying your clothes outside is an efficient way to save energy and money. Admittedly the weather plays a key part in drying the drying process and is of no value if it’s raining. However, keeping a close eye on the weather reports may find you that ‘drying’ window. Sure, it’s easy to pop the damp clothes in the dryer, another habit that needs ‘adjustment’, we know you always do it but these drastic times calls for drastic measures. What's the win? You can save up to £60 a year on your energy bill by air drying. Try to avoid placing damp clothes around a room to dry them, as this can lead to mould growth and create another unpleasant problem!

More ways to save money!

• Go for water-saving gadgets.
Having a family means you must all be aware of how to make savings during the energy crisis. If you look after the pennies the pounds will look after themselves (as the saying goes).

• Set up heating controls.
Regarding energy savings, accurate heating controls rather than random settings can save money. Why not invest in a quality set of controls, which could save up to £180 each year. In addition to saving money, all of the above will contribute to a reduction in your carbon footprint!

• Lowering the thermostat.
Too high a temperature setting will cost you money, particularly in the colder months. One easy way to reduce energy costs is to lower your thermostat by just one degree Celsius. This simple change can save you around £145 per year on your energy bill.

Save up to £1,000

• Upgrade your boiler and adjust its flow temperature.
Boiler replacement is a big decision you make in your home. You should consider replacing your boiler if it's more than 15 years old and breaks down regularly. The modern boilers of today are more energy efficient and can be converted to run on a mix of natural and hydrogen gas, which is the future of gas boilers.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, upgrading from a G-rated gas boiler to a new A-rated condensing one with a programmer, room thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves in a typical three-bed house could save you £540 a year on your energy bills. Now that is worth considering!

If you live in a detached home, you could save £840 a year. In a mid-floor flat, you could save £230 a year.


• Insulation
- Hot water cylinder insulation
One little cost saver that can make a difference, is covering the hot water cylinder with a cylinder jacket. That added layer of insulation could save over £70 a year!

- Home insulation
Most homes have fibreglass to insulate the loft. If you haven’t got loft insulation then the heat and your money are literally going through the roof.

Loft insulation is relatively cheap to install f you are a keen DIY-er and will stop heat loss. Don’t ignore drafts either, they need to be insulated. Check around windows, doors, floorboards and fireplaces all are prime draft hot spots (or cold spots). Drafts could prevent the central heating/boiler from reaching the preset temperature, causing the boiler to work harder, for longer and cost more before it reaches the set temperature. Proper insulation and draft prevention will make a saving in the region of £35 per annum

• Join a discount club.
Many different discount clubs are available in the UK offering discounts on various products and services. By joining one of these clubs, you can save money on energy, groceries, clothing, and other necessities.

Follow these simple tips, and you can see a noticeable difference in your next bill. If you want more help, why not schedule a call to serviceteam? One of our expert engineers will give you advice on reducing your energy consumption and saving money.

Thanks for reading!