25 easy ways to reduce energy bills that require little or no investment

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Reducing our energy bills is a focus for everyone right now

We should all be doing our bit to reduce energy usage and with the latest increase in the energy price cap for UK households just being announced by Ofgem, reducing energy use is even more pressing. Incorporating solar and wind power into your supply and getting loft and cavity wall insulation will have the greatest impact on reducing energy bills, but these require significant upfront investment. Here are easy changes we can all make to save money on our energy bills that require little or no investment.

It’s really important to note that what is described as a price cap is not a cap on your total bill, but a cap on the unit price and daily standing charge, so you will still be charged more for using more energy. These price caps affect energy customers who are on their provider’s standard tariff, rather than a fixed-price, time-limited contract. Whether you are affected by the ‘price cap’ or not, taking the steps below will reduce your energy bill.

Heating system settings

With autumn approaching, our heating systems will soon be working harder. Reduce the energy your system will draw with the easy steps:

1. Lower your thermostat. Even reducing the temperature by a single degree will use considerably less energy.
2. Turn down, or off, thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) in rooms you are not using.
3. Clean your radiators regularly. A build-up of dust and dirt will reduce the efficiency of your radiators. A radiator brush is an effective way to clean between the fins and behind the radiator.
4. Reduce the temperature on your hot water cylinder.
5. Familiarise yourself with the programming unit and schedule periods where the heating is off for when you are not at home or at night if you don’t need it.

Windows and doors

A lot of energy loss comes from poorly sealed windows and doors which let the warm air out and the cold air in. Here are quick fixes you can make in a weekend:

1. Check the seal around existing windows and have this replaced if needed. Fit a slim-profile brush pile around any draughty external doors to minimise heat loss.
2. Thermal curtains for your windows are an easy addition. If you don’t want to replace your existing curtains, you can get a thermal lining that attaches to them.
3. Door curtains are quick and easy to install and can help reduce draughts. They are like window curtains but are usually a single panel. 
4. Draught excluders are long sausage-shaped cushions that sit in front of a door to reduce draughts coming through below. These can be used for internal as well as external doors. 
5. If your door has a letterbox, make sure it has a brush draught excluder fitted. Alternatively, get an external mailbox and seal up your letterbox with a blanking plate.

Kitchen

Our kitchens tend to be where we use most energy in the home. Even if your appliances have a high energy-efficiency rating, there are easy steps you can take to reduce energy use in the kitchen:

1. Only heat as much water as you need when boiling the kettle. Use it immediately, rather than get distracted and return only to re-boil it later. 
2. Put a lid on your pan when cooking. It will deflect heat back rather than letting it escape, so your food will cook more quickly and at a lower temperature.
3. Cook multiple foods when using your oven. Leave your oven door open after cooking to return heat to the room (although don’t do this if you have a low-level oven and pets or small children).
4. Cooking with a slow cooker can use significantly less energy than your hob or oven. You may well have one of these lurking at the back of a cupboard. If you need inspiration, try a slow-cooker recipe book.
5. Use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking times for cheaper cuts of meat or for beans and pulses. You can even make yoghurt or cheesecake with one.

Bathroom

Estimates from the Energy Saving Trust found reducing shower time to be the single biggest saving in terms of energy use around the home. These energy-saving tips for the bathroom will also use less water, saving on water bills too:

1. Take showers rather than baths, but keep them quick. Try using a timer in the shower and stick to under 4 minutes or running time. 
2. If you have low water pressure, try a water-saving showerhead instead of a power shower.
3. Reduce the temperature of the water. You don’t need to take a cold shower, but lower the temperature to what you are comfortable with.
4. Only run the shower when rinsing, turning the water off when soaping up and shampooing.
5. Use a bath dam for children’s baths. These are really easy to use to create a smaller bath within the tub and are fully adjustable.

Lighting

A lot of energy demand in our homes comes from lighting so these tips will help considerably to reduce energy bills.

1. Change older bulbs to LEDs and go for a lower wattage where you don’t need so much brightness.
2. Use solar lights externally, but consider placement so they will get sufficient sunlight to charge.
3. Use PIR (passive infra red) motion-detection lights for landings and hallways. These are super if you have small children, or a need to be up and about at night and would rather not use the brighter ceiling lights. 
4. If you need to leave a light at night, get one with a dusk-to-dawn sensor. Unlike with a timer, you won’t need to be making adjustments as daylight hours change.
5. Easiest of all, turn the lights off when you are not using them!