With people across the country feeling the effects of rising prices due to the cost-of-living crisis and now the plummeting temperatures, we have compiled a list of our top 20 low cost, energy saving tips:
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Do you have single glazed windows? Sellotape some cling-film across the inside frame, then use a hairdryer to seal it. A cost-effective substitution for double glazing.
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Place draught excluders on the front, back and living room doors (or whatever room you occupy the most. Here is a guide to making your own draught excluder.
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If you can’t get draught excluders, another way to keep warm is to shut doors in each room – this will keep the heat in, meaning time with the heating on can be reduced.
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Run your boiler at 60 degrees instead of 80 – boilers are often set by plumbers to run hot, but you can get more heat from less gas or electricity by running it slightly lower.
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British Gas say even dropping your temperature by one degree could save you £115 on average for a standard home. Turning the thermostat down from 21 degrees to 20 doesn’t sound like much but it could reduce your annual heating bill.
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Are your radiators always on? Make sure to turn down or off the radiators in rooms you are not using when you have the heating on.
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Shorten the time you spend in the shower – this will not only reduce water usage, but also save money on the energy used to heat that water. The suggested time is 4 minutes, which could save a typical household £95 a year, and another £60 if metered.
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Turn the shower on to get wet, turn it off when lathering up then turn it back on when you are ready to rinse.
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Fitting a water efficient shower head could save £45 on gas bills and if metered, an extra £25 each year. This article from Which? suggests some of the best eco-shower heads available from places like Amazon and Screwfix.
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Alternatively, if you think you could tolerate it, you could have a cold shower. It will not only reduce your energy usage, but it’s said to have many physical and mental health benefits.
These tips and tricks could help alleviate some of the stress of soaring energy prices. Why not try them for yourself?
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If making a pasta dish, only cook it for 2 minutes then cover the pot and leave it for a minute longer than the normal cooking time. This should cook the pasta whilst reducing the amount of energy used.
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Placing lids on pots when cooking can reduce the amount of energy used.
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Also don’t waste energy by boiling water in a giant pan, it only needs to cover the food.
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Batch cooking and using the microwave as much as you can is more cost effective and energy efficient.
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If you’re batch cooking in the oven, leave the door open when done so it heats your home.
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You could invest in a thermos flask – this way you would only need to fill the thermos once, it will make 8-10 cups of tea.
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Are you charging your phone overnight? If so, you may be wasting some energy unnecessarily as the average mobile phone can take 3 hours to fully charge.
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Continue to hang your washing outside in winter, if possible. This may only dry your clothes 80% but that means 80% less energy required to complete drying in a dryer or an airer.
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When it’s sunny – open blinds, curtains, and room doors. Let the natural warmth of the sun heat your home. It can raise the temperature of a room by up to a degree, even when it’s cold outside.
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Foil on a wall behind radiators (shiny side outwards) will reflect heat back into the room instead of being absorbed by the wall.
Visit our cost-of-living hub here for more helpful information and details on the financial support we have provided to our communities.
Or visit Our Green community to see what we are doing to help preserve the environment.
