Energy Saving Tips

Energy Saving Tips

Below are few of the energy saving tips that are quite effective and can save you both energy and money.


One can lose up to 35% of the heat from the walls of the house and up to 25% from the roof. To avoid this, its wise to install a cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. These prevent escaping of heat and hence save both money and energy.


More energy consuming lighting devices should be replaced with less energy light bulbs. These bulbs are ideal lighting solution for the house and also last up to 15 times longer than the ordinary bulbs. Though the bulbs cost little more but promise to use a quarter of the electricity of ordinary bulbs.


Using microwave instead of oven for cooking saves a substantial amount of money and energy. Always remember to keep the lid on the saucepan while cooking. This saves energy. Also use just enough water to cover the vegetables while cooking than souse them in it.


Overheating the room also wastes energy. Do heat the room up to the desired temperature but do not overheat it. Stay intimated with the controls properly. Do turn down the thermostat if your house is too hot but do not open the windows. Reducing the temperature by just 1°C can cut your fuel bills by up to 10%.


If the hot water cylinder has a thermostat, do set it to the recommended temperature of 60°C. You can insulate your hot water cylinder with a lagging jacket, this will prevent energy loss. In a bid to save energy, to you can also choose to take shower that uses much less water than a bath.


Washing the clothes in the right mode and setting also saves energy and hence money. Always choose to use a 40°C washing machine cycle rather than a 60°C cycle. This will consume a third less electricity. Also remember to take to half load setting when the quantity of clothes to be washed is less.


Do remember to drape curtains over the windows at dusk. This will prevent the heat loss through the windows. But make sure you don't cover the radiators with curtains. Lined curtains will help stop heat escaping.


Using freezers and fridges in an appropriate manner can also save a lot of energy. Do remember to defrost the freezers and fridges frequently. Keep the door closed and do not leave it open for a long time. Never keep hot food in to the fridge directly. Wait to let it cool down first and then place it in the fridge. On making a purchase of a new fridge always see the energy rating on it. The more energy efficient fridges come with 'A' rating.


Always remember to turn off the Television, video and hi-fi when they are not in use, instead of putting them on standby mode. This may save 60% of the electricity you use playing music or watching your favorite soap. The money saved on this can be better used in more fruitful ways.


A report from British Gas reveals that people of UK wastes about £5 billion worth of energy every year. If used watchfully an average household in Britain can save up to £200 worth of energy annually. Below are few of the tips that can be helpful in saving gas and electricity and hence cutting up the energy bills:

1. Do grab a lagging jacket to cover the hot water cylinder, this will prevent the loss of energy and hence saves money too.
2. You can cut down on your heating bills by up to10% by turning your thermostat down by 1°C. Also remember to leave your thermostat on, at a low setting to provide protection from freezing, if you are moving away for winters. This can save you up to £30 per year.
3. Do replace your ordinary light bulbs with energy saving ones. A single light bulb replaced can save you up to £78 over the lifetime of the bulb.
4. Do not over heat the bathing water. Normally, setting the thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing.
5. Defrost the fridge and freezer frequently. Do not the leave the fridge door open for longer time.
6. Remember to cover the food with a lid while cooking in the saucepan. This makes cooking faster while saving energy as well.
7. Boil only the required quantity of water in the hot water kettle. Heating full kettle every time consumes a lot of electricity. The water must be adequate to cover the element.

Below are some of the environmental friendly energy saving tips that will help you cut down your gas and electricity bills -

1. Do turn off the taps when they are not in use and fix the leaking taps as soon as possible. The water that trickles down the leaking hot water tap can equate enough water to fill half a bath. Hence do not waste energy and money.
2. Around 25 % of the heat loss takes place through uninsulated lofts. To prevent this install loft insulation at home.
3. Cavity wall insulation also prevents energy loss and saves money. It can save up to 35% of energy that is lost otherwise through walls of the house.
4. Do not leave the electrical appliances on standby mode when they are not in use, instead switch them off. This will save a lot of energy. Also remember to switch off the monitor when it is not in use.
5. In order to eliminate energy loss via the exterior doors, gaps in floorboards and skirting boards use an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal. This will prevent energy loss and saves money.
6. You can also avail the 'Economy 7' energy tariff plan to save money. The plan offers different energy consumption rates at different times in the day. Energy consumed at night is generally priced less than the energy consumed during the day. This allows you to heat your water and storage heater during the night. But you need to be watchful as to make a saving, you need to use 20% of your heat consumption during the night.