There are many ways you can start to save energy around the home. One of the most important things you can do is consider replacing your boiler if it is over ten years old, with one that is more efficient.
This will have the benefit of lowering your heating bills and reducing your impact on the environment. However there are plenty of things you can do straight away to save energy and lower your bills.
Don't leave appliances on standby
If you leave your television on standby, it's still using electricity even though you think it's switched off. By turning it off at the switch you could save money - the average household wastes £37 a year by leaving appliances on standby (source: energywatch, the gas and electricity watchdog).
Replace your old boiler
If your boiler is over ten years old you might want to replace it for one that is more efficient. Replacing your old boiler with a high efficiency condensing boiler as well as a full set of heating controls could save between £190 and £230 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Only boil as much as you need
When using your kettle you could save energy by only boiling the water that you need. An easy way to do this is fill the cup you are going to use and then pour this into the kettle. Make sure you add a bit to allow for evaporation and be sure to cover the element if you use an electric kettle.
Turn the thermostat down
By turning your thermostat down by 1oC you could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent (source: Energy Saving Trust).
Use energy efficient bulbs
Energy efficient bulbs last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs. energywatch estimate that for every energy efficient bulb fitted could lead to an annual saving of £9. They believe that if every UK household installed just one bulb we'd save over £80 million per year and enough energy to supply all the street lighting in the UK! And don't forget to switch off lights when you leave a room.
External links
Which? - energy saving tips
