How can you save electricity at home?
You may be looking for ways to reduce your consumption to help with your bills. Saving energy is also important for reducing your carbon emissions to help to fight climate change.
We’ve gathered some of the most common tips and tricks to create an ultimate guide to saving energy.
Turn off appliances that are on standby
Electronic devices still use electricity when they are on standby, or even switched off while still plugged in. These are known as vampire devices, which can cost you over £100 a year. A common culprit is leaving things like mobile phones plugged in after they’ve finished charging.
To avoid this unnecessary electricity usage, remember to unplug all devices or turn them off at the wall. Using power strips or smart plugs makes it easier to turn multiple things off at once.
Upgrade to energy saving appliances
If you need to replace larger appliances, always look for ones with a high energy efficiency rating, as this can make a big difference. This can apply to anything that uses large amounts of electricity such as washing machines, fridges, freezers, and TVs.
A quick switch you can make to more energy efficient appliances is to swap your lightbulbs to LEDs. LED lights use 85% less energy than typical halogen bulbs, and changing all of your lights to LED bulbs will save around 63kgs of carbon emissions each year.
Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need
It takes 0.2kWh to boil a full, average-sized kettle, which can usually hold over eight cups of water. If you only need one or two cups at a time, lots of energy will be wasted by heating up more water than needed.
Clean the coils on your fridge
The coils on the back of your fridge can get really dirty which reduces efficiency, so aim to give them a clean at least once a year. Your fridge will last longer and cost less money to keep running.
Keeping your fridge and freezer full also helps it to be efficient – this could mean freezing containers of water or chilling water in the fridge.
Be efficient when you are cooking
Use lids when boiling pans on the hob and make sure that you’re using the right saucepan on the right ring.
If you’re using the oven, try to cook multiple things at once, and make sure you leave the oven door closed to save energy. You could also turn the oven off just before your cooking time finishes, as the oven will stay hot for at least a few minutes.
Cooking in the microwave also uses a lot less electricity than using the oven.
Wash your clothes at 30 degrees
Washing your clothes on a cooler cycle is often a good way to save energy (check care instructions on individual items of clothes to make sure a cooler wash is suitable). Waiting until you have a full load of laundry before using the washing machine can also reduce your energy usage by cutting down on the number of times you do laundry in a week.
Air dry your laundry rather than tumble drying
Tumble dryers use 4.5kWh per cycle, so it’s better to air dry your clothes where possible.
Get a smart meter
Smart meters show you how you are using your energy in real time. This allows you to see the effect that changes you make to your daily life have on your energy consumption.
Generate your own electricity
Investing in solar panels or other renewable technology is a great way to reduce how much power you’re using from the grid. It will take a few years to break even on this investment, but you’ll start saving money on your electricity bills straight away.
Find out more about our solar panel installation service here
If you’re struggling with your energy bills, you can contact 0808 223 113 for free and impartial advice, or visit our Citizens Advice page for more information.
