Energy Saving Trust
Tel: 0800 512012
Top 10 energy saving measures
Simply follow the energy saving measures below, and you should see a great return on your investment, both financially and environmentally.
You can cut as much as £250 off your annual energy bill and reduce your household's carbon dioxide emissions by around two tonnes.
Brush up on energy saving
Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too.
Draught dodgers
Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, which also allow heat to escape in winter. Stop this waste by filling these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.
Use energy saving light bulbs
Switch to energy saving light bulbs. They last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs, and each bulb you fit could save up to £60 on electricity over the bulb's lifetime. They come in a whole range of styles.
Jazz up your tank with a jacket
Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, it pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every UK household that could fitted an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save over £89 million of energy every year!
Lofty ambitions
Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy - you can even install it yourself. Insulate your loft today and in a year you could save around £110.
Insulate wall cavities
Around 33% of the heat lost in an uninsulated house is through the walls. You could save around £90 on energy bills each year by insulating your wall cavities. It also creates an even temperature in your home. If we all filled our wall cavities, we'd save about £720 million of energy a year.
Switch to high-efficiency boilers
If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well.
Look for the logo
When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Energy Saving Recommended appliances are the most efficient in their category and could save you up to £37 a year.
Keep twice as warm with double glazing
Double glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by around £90 a year.
Take our online home energy check
Still not sure which are your home's weak spots? Why not complete our online home energy check? Or call your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 for free, impartial advice on saving energy in your home.
