Top tips for Energy Saving Week

Big Energy Saving Week takes place between 22-27 October, and leading North West housing provider Regenda has issued some top tips to help people save money – and the planet.

The group’s environmental team has pulled together the following tips for helping people through the winter months.

Sarah Thomas, Environment Officer, said: “There are some really simple ways that people can cut back on the amount of energy they use – which in turn will save them money. Sometimes it is just a matter of getting into good habits, and then seeing the difference it can make to the bills!”

Check out your supplier and your tariff
No matter how much energy you use, you can save money by making sure you are on the cheapest tariff. Regularly checking that you are on the best tariff is the easiest way to save money on your bills – as with everything, it really does pay to shop around. On average people who stay with the same supplier pay over £300 more a year than the cheapest tariff available. Switching supplier is quick and hassle free and doesn’t affect your supply.

Staying warm
Use your heating controls to make sure your house is heated only when you need it to be. If you are out at work all day, or work shifts, make sure you are not wasting heat and money while you are out by setting the timer on your controls.

Keep the heat in
Other ways to keep your home warm include closing curtains and blinds as soon as it goes dark to keep warm air trapped in the house; keeping your radiators clear of furniture and curtains so the warm air can circulate, and check your home for draughts. Draught proof strips are cheap and easy to install and can make a real difference. 

In the kitchen
Using lids on pans will cook food more quickly and save you energy. Remember to only boil as much water as you need. Reheat food using the microwave, it uses a lot less energy than an electric oven.

Keep your fridge and freezer ¾ full to keep them working most efficiently and defrost your freezer regularly. Try to keep your fridge and freezer away from heat sources such as ovens and radiators, and cool foods completely before you put them in the fridge.

Washing and cleaning
Only use dishwashers and washing machines when you have a full load. Use a clothes rail or washing line to dry clothes whenever you can – tumble dryers cost around 50p an hour to run. If you do need to use a tumble dryer using plastic dryer balls can reduce drying time by 25%.

Washing at cooler temperatures is better for your clothes and saves energy – washing at 30 degrees instead of 40 can save 40% of the electricity used.

Keeping your windows clean will let more light into your home, meaning you need to use the lights less – using an energy saving bulb will save around £55 over the lifetime of the bulb. 

All your gadgets
Turn your appliances off at the plug to avoid wasting energy on standby. It is not just televisions and computers that use energy on standby; microwaves, cordless phones, set top boxes and modems( to name a few) all use energy when not in use. Over a year this can all add up!

If you forget, or find it difficult to reach plugs, consider purchasing a power down plug which will turn your appliances off remotely.

Charging your phone or laptop for longer than needed can reduce the battery life and cost you money –most phones only need a few hours to fully charge.

Check the brightness setting on your television, often the factory settings are brighter than you need at home – turning these down will save money on your electricity bill.
When buying new systems, look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended label which is only given to the most energy efficient products. 

Don’t believe the myths
There are some myths around household energy use, but here is the truth: 

Leaving your heating on low all day costs less than switching it on and off when needed – FALSE! It takes less energy to heat up your home when you need to than to keep it at a low temperature all the time. The heating system will run for longer to reach the temperature you want, but this is still less than it would use to maintain a constant temperature all day when you don’t need it. 

Setting your thermostat to a higher setting will heat up your home more quickly – FALSE! It takes the same amount of time to heat your home to 21°C whether the thermostat is set to 21 or 35 degrees. By setting it higher your boiler will overshoot the temperature you want, producing more heat than you need and costing you more.

Switching lights on and off uses more energy than leaving them on, and reduces the life expectancy of bulbs – FALSE! A small surge of energy is used when lights are turned on, but this is a lot less than the energy used while they are running. Turning the lights off when you leave a room is better even if you’ll only be gone for a minute or two. It won’t damage your bulb either - better designed bulbs mean that switching them on and off, no longer has a significant impact on the bulb.