Cut Down Your Energy Bills

You really can cut down your energy bills – we have put together our 10 top tips.

1. Try turning down your central heating room thermostat by one degree. It could cut your heating bill by £55 per year.
2. If you have a clock / programmer, set it so that the heating only comes on when needed. Switching off your boiler when no one’s at home is a great way of saving energy and money.
3. You can reduce the energy your boiler consumes by up to 40 per cent with an efficient room thermostat and the correct use of thermostatic radiator valves.
4. Replacing a 10 year old boiler with an efficient A-rated new one could reduce your energy consumption by a third. (If every household in the country installed a high–efficiency boiler, the energy saved would be enough to provide heating and power for almost two million homes!)
5. Use an appropriate draught excluder around doors, windows, letterboxes and keyholes. However, do not block or seal any air vents which ensure that the central heating boiler operates safely.
6. Lower the hot water temperature. Your thermostat needn’t be higher than 60 degrees centigrade (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Any higher and you will only be mixing it with cold water to cool it back down for use.
7. Buy a new insulation jacket for your hot water tank – around £12. It should be 75mm thick and it can save you around £35 per year.
8. If you improve the energy efficiency of your home, perhaps by installing loft or cavity wall insulation, your house will heat up and cool down at a different rate. To maximise savings try reducing the time your heating system is switched on. Insulation can help reduce up to 30% of heat loss through the roof of your property.
9. Service your boiler regularly. Breakdowns are much less likely and you can ensure it’s safer and more efficient, thus reducing your energy bills.
10. Take a shower! A daily bath can use about 13,000 litres more water per year than a five–minute shower. The average Brit could more than halve the climate impact of their ablutions simply by cutting out baths and making their showers shorter and cooler.