Saving energy: free tips and advice

Drop 1°C

Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent. You could save around £40 per year.

Is your water too hot?

Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60°C/140°F.

Curtains

Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

Empty rooms

Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Avoid standby

Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

Half-loads

If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.

Tea and coffee

Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).

Fixing dripping taps

A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!

Energy saving light bulbs

Use energy saving light bulbs. Just one can save you £60 over the lifetime of the bulb - as they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary lightbulbs.

Home energy checks

Do a home energy check. Just answer some simple questions about your home and the Energy Savings Trust will give you a free, impartial report telling you how you can save up to £250 a year on your house hold energy bills.