Ten energy saving tips to help save you money

As we all know, increases in inflation alongside steep rises in energy prices, have left many households and families feeling the pinch.

To help you save money we have compiled ten energy saving tips .

Why save energy?

Being more energy efficient brings with it a wealth of benefits for both you and the planet.

It’s good for the planet

Increasing energy efficiency can not only decrease water use, but it can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, all of which are good for the planet. So, doing our bit for the planet is completely achievable.

It’s good for you

Not only is being more energy efficient good for the planet, but it’s also beneficial to individuals too. Improving energy efficiency can significantly lower personal utility bills, making it easier to put money aside and grant you peace of mind.

It’s easier than you think

It’s also easier than you think to take steps to be more energy efficient and reduce your energy costs.

Follow our top ten quick tips to save energy, lower your bills, reduce your carbon footprint and save money.

1. Understand your energy bill

First and foremost, understanding your energy bill is a crucial way to get to grips with your current spending and identify where savings can be made by making household adjustments.

Contact your energy provider if you need assistance or require a breakdown of your bill.

2. Turn off lights

While this tip may seem a little obvious, many of us forget to turn off the lights in our homes or places of work.

Ensure you turn off lights when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. Try to remember to turn off reading lights before falling asleep and do a final check before you leave the house to ensure all lights are turned off.

You could also look to replace all your existing lights in your home with LED alternatives, which are more energy efficient and could help you save even more money.

3. Switch off standby

Switching your appliances off standby can save significant energy and impact your wallet.

Almost all your electrical appliances located in your home can be turned off at the plug without any risk of disrupting their programming.

There are also smart plugs available that will enable you to turn all your appliances off standby at once.

Before you switch everything off, ensure you check the instructions on any of your appliances that you aren’t quite sure about – items such as digital TV recorders may work slightly differently.

4. Reduce shower length

While it is important to maintain good personal hygiene and stay clean, reducing your shower time can save energy and significantly reduce energy bills over the course of a year.

By replacing your current shower head with an energy-efficient type, your household could also make savings of as much as £38 a year on gas for water heating if you are a family of four and around £53 a year on water bills if you have a water meter¹.

Aim to reduce your shower length to approximately 4 minutes to make energy savings and save money.

5. Install a smart meter

Installing a smart meter, a new type of gas and electricity meter is an effective method to measure how much gas and electricity your household is using.

Its home display shows your energy usage in the last hour, week and month, enabling you to keep track of spending and make necessary adjustments. It also shows the current level of electricity use (measured in low, medium and high), as well as real-time updates for electricity and half-hourly updates for gas.

Installing a smart meter also ensures you receive an accurate bill and tracks usage in real-time to avoid any nasty surprises.

You can request a free smart meter installation by contacting your gas and electricity provider.

6. Avoid wasteful washing

While it is tempting to put a wash on when the basket starts to fill up, you can save money on your energy bill by avoiding overuse and managing your washing more carefully.

Stick to keeping your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle and avoid higher temperatures. Reducing your washing machine use by one run per week will ensure you are making savings, as well as being more efficient.

Make sure your washing machine is full before you put on a load and use the ECO setting if your machine has one.

7. Avoid using the tumble dryer

A tumble dryer is a great addition to the home but does bring with it its fair share of the cost to run.

Where possible, try to avoid using the tumble dryer and, as an alternative, dry clothes on racks and clothes horses inside instead. During the warmer weather, ensure you dry your clothes outside and make use of the UK sun while we have it!

8. Swap out baths for showers

Saving water at home is an effective way to benefit the environment as well as your wallet.

While most of us love nothing more than enjoying a long soak in the tub, by swapping this out for a short, 4-minute shower, your household could make significant savings each year.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average UK household currently uses around 330 litres of water a day. If each member of a family of four replaces one bath a week with a five-minute shower, up to £10 a year could be saved on gas bills and up to £10 on water bills (if you have a water meter) ¹

9. Be careful in the kitchen

We are all guilty of not fixing that leaking kitchen tap. However, a dripping tap can waste more than 5,000 litres of water a year.

Ensure that taps are properly turned off and that you change their washers as soon as they start to make a drip.

Nothing quite beats a cuppa, but how many of us regularly overfill the kettle and boil it with far more water than we need?

Trying to regularly monitor how much you are filling your kettle up will help to save energy and help you make cost savings on your electricity bill.

10. Other energy saving tips

There are several other energy saving tips that you could adopt in your household, including:

Draught-proofing – Unless your house is a new build home, it could be worth investing in professional or DIY draught-proofing for your windows and doors. While this comes with an initial cost, you will reduce heat loss in your home and save money on energy bills in the long run.
Insulation – Insulate your water tank, radiators and pipes to quickly reduce heat loss and save money on your energy bills.
Completely fill your dishwasher – Like your washing machine, ensure that you only run your dishwasher when it is completely full to reduce your water usage.
Aerator – Fit an aerator onto your kitchen taps to reduce the amount of water coming out without impacting how well they work – this could reduce water usage and save energy and money over time.

Remember – money you save is money you can grow

The 10 tips above can help you to reduce your energy usage and save money.

So, with the extra money in your wallet, you can start to put savings aside to help safeguard your future with one of our range of savings and investment plans.

Invest with Foresters Friendly today

Whether you are saving for a new home, a dream holiday, that classic car, your retirement or want to help your kids through university, our savings and investment plans are designed to help you get there.

Our range of long-term saving products, including Lifetime ISAs, Stocks & Shares ISAs and our Savings and Investment Plan, can help build up a savings pot for your future and help you reach your goals – you can request information packs for each plan or apply online today!

Capital at risk. This blog is intended to provide information, not financial advice, to help you make an informed decision about savings and investments. We do not offer financial advice. You should contact a financial adviser, who may charge a fee, if you want financial advice.

Sources

1 https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/simple-ways-to-save-water-at-home/