Top 10 simple energy saving tips

The increasing cost of energy can be worrying, particularly as the weather cools and the evenings get darker, but there are some things that can be done that could help save money.

Here are 10 top tips for easily saving energy — and therefore money — that mostly apply to homes but some can also be considered for business use as well.

Turn off appliances at the wall

A common tip, but a simple one: switch off appliances at the socket instead of leaving them on standby. Just using the 'off' switch on an appliance might still leave it on standby and using energy. Anything you don't need to leave switched on, switch off — particularly overnight when you aren't there. This applies to both homes and businesses — don't leave computer monitors turned on when not in use, or leave fans running when they aren't needed.

This could save you more money than you expect — British Gas research in 2022 suggested an average of £147 each year could be saved.

Wear warmer clothing

Another frequent tip, but one that's still relevant: wear more clothing whilst inside. However, don't just put on a heavy jumper — wear extra layers to keep more heat trapped near your body, so you feel the benefit. This also means that if you get too warm you can just remove a layer instead of needing to change the thermostat again.

Wash clothes at lower temperatures, with full loads

Washing machines use a lot of energy, so make full use of the space available and fill them to roughly three-quarters capacity (so there is still space for movement). Don't wash just one or two things. You could also decide not to wash certain items as frequently, to save space in the machine.

However, also make sure to turn down the temperature. Changing from 40°C down to 30°C uses roughly 40% less energy. Using a lower temperature will not have a noticeable effect on your washing for normal cleaning, but it will have an effect on your energy bill, as roughly 90% of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water.

Tumble dryers use even more energy, so limiting their use (and making sure they're at optimum capacity when they are used) can be a simple way to cut energy bills.

Don't overfill the kettle

As with washing machines, heating water in a kettle uses energy to heat the water. The more water, the more heat required, so more energy is used. Only fill up the kettle with the amount of water you need and you'll save a bit of money — most modern electric kettles have a handy measure down the side to provide an indication of how much water is needed for each cup.

This is another useful tip for business as well as homes — there's no need to fill up the kettle every time if only a couple of people want a hot drink.

Turn off the oven five minutes before you finish cooking

Ovens use a lot of energy, so use a microwave where possible. However, if you do use an oven, they retain heat effectively even once they've been switched off, so try turning your oven off five minutes before the end of the required cooking time. This is particularly true if you have a habit of giving it 'just five more minutes' — switch it off then and it will still cook for that last little bit.

An additional suggestion for ovens is to use their heat to help warm your home. If you're using an oven, you're generating the heat anyway so why not make use of it and keep your kitchen door open to let the heat dissipate through the property. You could even leave the oven door open after you've switched the oven off to let the heat out more effectively — as long as you have no pets or children and you won't walk into it! Don't do this with the oven switched on, though — always make sure it's switched off first.

Have showers, not baths — and make them shorter

Another common tip is to have showers instead of baths to save both energy and water, especially if you use a water-saving shower head. Keeping them short will save even more — Anglian Water estimates showering for one minute less could save up to £100 each year. You could also turn down the temperature as well — heating the water uses up energy.

Better still, if you want to save a bit more money, if you regularly use a gym or sports venue with its own showers, or if your place of work has its own, why not use those facilities instead? Using someone else's shower facilities also uses their water and energy.

Use LED lightbulbs and turn off lights

A frequent suggestion for saving energy is to replace old filament lightbulbs with newer, more energy efficient LED bulbs. It is an easy and relatively cheap change that may not have a huge impact to your bills, but it will help to save a bit of money without making any big changes.

It's increasingly easier to find energy efficient lightbulbs: the UK Government banned the sale of energy-intensive incandescent lightbulbs in 2021, and halogen bulbs and fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), the original 'energy-saving bulb', are generally being phased out in favour of the much more efficient LEDs.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates LEDs use 80% less electricity than halogen, and last up to twenty times longer too.

And, of course, make sure you switch off lights when you don't need them.

Don't leave devices charging overnight

Just like leaving lights on when they aren't needed, it's easy to leave appliances switched on when you don't need them — but this can be especially true of chargers.

It might be convenient to leave a phone on charge overnight, but when they typically only take between one and three hours to charge, leaving a charger plugged in when the phone is at 100% capacity will use electricity unnecessarily.

Instead, charge it up throughout the day (perhaps while you're having a quick shower?) to limit the excess energy use. It won't save you a lot, but it could save a little bit.

Also see if you can change settings on your phone to use less energy — screen brightness, battery saving mode could also have a small effect.

Don't iron things that don't need it

As mentioned above, heating water uses a lot of energy. A simple way to save some of that energy is not to iron clothes that don't need it. Irons are one of the most energy-intensive appliances so cutting out ironing for bedsheets, underwear, pyjamas and housewear will save money. Also consider whether you need to iron other things — do all your shirts really need to be pristine and crease-free?

If you do decide to get the iron out, always try to iron everything in one go, as heating up the water to its optimum temperature uses the most energy, so repeatedly doing so for a few things here and there is a waste of energy and money.

Use a Building Energy Management System like HeatingSave

HeatingSave doesn't just optimise your heating system — it can also be used to monitor energy use to see where you are using the most energy, where you are wasting energy, and where you can save energy.

It can also be used to switch off appliances and equipment when not in use — including remotely via the HeatingSave app. For homes this means connected devices can be easily switched off if left on during the day; for businesses it means being able to ensure electronics are not left on when everyone has gone home. This is particularly useful for organisations with multi-purposes spaces such as village halls, churches or schools, as things like the audio-visual equipment, kitchen water heater and lighting can all be set to switch off at the end of a session. Even if they are left on, they can then be remotely switched off through the app.

Discuss these benefits with our team today — book a free online demo to see how HeatingSave can help you.

If you'd like some more useful energy saving tips, take a look at MoneySavingExpert.