How Can I Save Energy?

As global warming is becoming an increasing problem it makes sense for each household to do what they can to help reduce its effect. This can be done through a series of simple measures to ensure households are more energy efficient. Not only is energy efficiency beneficial to the environment but it can also reduce a household’s annual fuel bill by a significant amount.

 If we wish to reduce the impacts from energy production, then we will need to reduce demand for energy. Buying recycled produced or re-using items we already have will help reduce energy consumption. So make use of your local recycling facilities and try and reuse items.

Energy Saving Tips

• Check you are using the cheapest supplier - It is easy to do this using a website such as www.uswitch.com that offers free, independent and impartial advice.
• Switch off unnecessary lights - In a typical home, lighting accounts for 20% of the electricity bill so if you can cut back here you will save money.
• Only boil as much water in your kettle as you need - If we all did this we'd save enough electricity to power two thirds of the street lighting in the UK.
• Turn your central heating thermostat down - Just turning it down by 1 degree could save you up to 10% off your heating bill.
• Forget standby - Each year, video recorders, DVD players and TVs in the UK consume £450m worth of wasted electricity while on stand by.
• Wash your laundry at 30C - Washing at 30C rather than normal temperatures means you use 40% less electricity.
• Buy energy efficient appliances - When replacing appliances, consider their energy efficiency rating. Look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended Logo as a guide to help you choose the most suitable product.
• Draught proof windows and doors - You can easily fix draughty windows and doors with minimal DIY skills and little cost. Even hanging a curtain behind the door will save you warmth and stop draughts which could save you roughly £10-£20 a year.
• Put aluminium foil behind any radiators fitted to outside walls - Ordinary kitchen foil will do, or you can buy specially designed panels from DIY stores. It will cost around £10 but could save you double that.
• Change to energy saving bulbs - By buying an energy efficient light bulb rather than the other alternatives you can cut energy wastage by a massive 75 per cent. Replacing only one light bulb with an energy efficient one could save you £10 a year.

Further Information

Visit these websites for more information:
www.energysavingadvice.co.uk
www.energysavingcommunity.co.uk/general-energy-saving-tips.html
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk