We all want to pay less for energy, but not everyone can have their own solar panels or wind turbine, so sometimes it’s up to use to use less energy – not just to reduce our bills, but to reduce the effect on the environment.

Energy Saving Hints

See our pages on Lighting and Water for information on conservation in these areas.

Turn things off if you’re not in the room

Kids are great ones for leaving the room and forgetting to switch off lights, TV, games consoles etc. It’s up to you to lead by example and train them to switch things off!

Don’t leave things charging or on standby

Make sure you unplug your phone, camera, mp3 player or laptop when they’ve finished charging. Don’t leave TVs and other appliances on standby.

Turn down the heat

If you turn down your heating thermostat by just one degree you can cut your heating bills by up to 10%. If you have a fire in a room, light it and spend time in that room, but turn down the heating for the rest of the house – there’s no point in heating a whole house when you spend most of your time in one room.
Check your hot water thermostat too – it shouldn’t need to be above 60°C.
Close curtains at night and use draught excluders to stop cold draughts from cooling down the house.

Fill it up – but only when you need to!

Fill up your washing machine and dishwasher before running them, but don’t fill the kettle – only boil as much water as you need.

Home improvements

Draught-proofing windows and doors, insulating walls, lofts, tanks and pipes, even a new boiler – these are all things which can make your home more energy efficient. Grants are sometimes available to help with the cost of these things. The Energy Savings Trust has more information.