Energy Saving Week is a national campaign with the aim to help encourage energy saving measures and cut down on fuel costs. During the current energy crisis with several suppliers failing, it is essential we are all aware of the best ways to reduce energy bills and share information for all to keep warm this winter. The Energy Saving Week event is created in partnership with Citizens Advice, the Energy Saving Trust and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The following tips will help save money by saving energy in the home:
Kitchen and bathroom
- Take simple steps to save money in the kitchen. You could save around £28 a year by cutting back the washing machine and dishwasher use by one cycle a week, and only filling the kettle with the water you need.
- Other simple steps you can take in the kitchen include using the right hob size for your pan, keeping lids on pots and pans, cooking food in batches in the oven and eating for lunch/dinner the next day, and leaving the oven door open after cooking to let the residual warmth heat the air around.
- Ensuring food cools down before putting it in the fridge also helps, as the fridge won’t have to work so hard to cool the food down.
- Cutting your shower time by just one minute can make a big difference. If everyone in a four-person household with a water meter did this, you could save £50 a year!
- Switching to a water efficient shower head could save a four-person household with a water meter around £80 on gas and water bills – quite a saving!
Appliances and lighting
- Looking for a quick and easy way to save money? Turn your appliances off instead of leaving them on standby – you could save £40 a year, and you’ll be saving energy too.
- Are you guilty of leaving lights on? Turning lights off when you’re not using them, even just for a few seconds, could save you £14 a year on your bills. It all adds up.
- If it’s time to replace a lightbulb, go for an LED. Replacing all your bulbs with LEDs would cost the average household around £145, but you’ll save £35 a year on your bills.
Heating and draught-proofing
- Feeling a chill? Unless your home is very new, you’ll lose some heat through draughts. Draught-proofing could save you £30 a year on your bills, and your home will feel warmer.
- Don’t let heat escape through your chimney – installing a chimney draught excluder could save you around £20 a year on your bills and make your home feel more comfortable.
- More than half of the money spent on fuel bills goes on heating and hot water. Try turning your room thermostat down by just one degree – you could save around £65 a year.
- It pays to be in control of your heating. Installing and using a room thermostat, programmer, and thermostatic radiator valves could save you around £85 a year.
- Close the curtains to keep in the heat, and tuck curtains in, especially if your radiators are underneath the windows so that your heating is funnelled into the room.
Check out the Energy Saving Trust’s website to learn more about saving energy and money: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy
AES Sustainability Consultants have a team dedicated to improving the energy performance of properties undergoing refurbishment or conversion works who can help ensure that energy and carbon savings are cost-effectively maximised. All the EPCs we produce contain additional suggestions on how to improve the property’s energy performance and therefore reduce bills e.g. through the installation of PV panels, and include ‘typical installation costs’ and ‘typical yearly savings’ to help guide cost-effective decision making.
Please contact AES for advice on your projects.
