Energy saving tips

Don’t leave devices on standby

You can save around £65 a year by completely shutting devices down/pulling the plug on idle technology.

Turn off lights

If you go out so should the lights. This could save around £25 a year on your annual energy bills. Replacing lights in your home with energy-efficient LED bulbs could help save even more.

Wash at cooler temperatures or eco mode

Switching from 40°C to 30°C on a normal cycle could save you £34 a year.

Avoid the tumble dryer

Air-drying your clothes inside or outside (in warmer weather) could save you around £70 a year.

Fill the dishwasher

By only using your dishwasher when it is full you could save around £17 a year.

Spend less time in the shower

Keeping your shower time to just four minutes could save around £95 a year on energy bills.

Give radiators space

Move furniture away from radiators. Use drying racks instead of hanging clothes over the radiator as this can stifle the heat and reduces heat output.

Install a room thermostat

Monitor your household temperature and consider turning your heating down by just one degree as this could save you up to 8% on your energy bills.

Use only one heating system

Using portable electric heaters in addition to the main heating system increases costs and prevents the main heating system from operating properly.

Draught-proof your home

Most heat is lost through draughty doors and windows which can easily be prevented by using a heavy curtain/draught excluder and could save you £45 per year.

Reduce the use of vents

Whilst kitchen and bathroom vents suck out smells and moisture, they also suck out a lot of hot air so keep their use to a minimum.

Check your boiler is up to pressure

Turning down the flow temperature on your combi boiler to 60°C could save £112 on your heating bill.

Money saving boiler challenge

Take part in Nesta's Money Saving Boiler Challenge

B&Q: How to bleed a radiator video 

Use a microwave oven or air fryer to cook food

These appliances use less energy than a conventional cooker. If you don’t have one at home use ‘one-pot’ cooking.

Energy efficient recipes

Energy efficient recipes will be available in our soon-to-be-released Clean Green Eco Cook Book.

During a sudden cold snap in winter it's easy for residual water in pipes to freeze and potentially burst, causing massive damage to your home.

This can be avoided by running your taps or leaving the heating on at a very low temperature (12°C) so pipes don't get cold enough to freeze.

For more advice, visit our top tips for tenants on home emergencies and frost precautions.