A room-by-room guide
Energy can be saved in every room in your house. In this guide we provide our top tips on how to save energy in the following rooms:
Choose a room and see how easy it is to start reducing your electricity usage.
Save energy in your living room
One of the easiest places to start saving energy is in your lounge. Make these tips top of your list:
- Turn off appliances rather than leaving them on standby
- Turn off lights when you leave the room
- Install energy saving light bulbs
- Turn your thermostat down by 1°C
- Close your curtains at dusk
The way you cook is almost as important as the appliances you cook on. These tips are all about how choosing and using appliances correctly can help you reduce your electricity use:
- Choose kitchen appliances rated A, A+ or A++ for energy efficiency
- Don't place your fridge/freezer next to the cooker or in direct sunlight
- Don't leave the fridge/freezer door open - load and unload quickly
- Don't place hot or still warm food in the fridge - let it cool first
Save energy in your kitchen
There are lots of ways to save energy in the kitchen. The following tips are all about reducing electricity use by the way you cook.
- Only boil the amount of water you need but always make sure the element in your kettle is covered
- Choose the right sized pan for the hob your are cooking on
- Keep pan lids on when boiling water or heating food, but don't leave pans unattended.
- Use a steamer to cook several items on one hob
- Make toast in a toaster, not under the grill
- Use a microwave instead of conventional oven when you can
- If using a conventional oven, keep the door closed
Save energy in your utility/laundry room
Boilers, dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers account for a large amount of household electricity use. Here are some tips to start reducing yours:
- Replace old, inefficient boilers
- Only use dishwashers when full to capacity
- Only use a dishwasher's highest temperature for very dirty dishes
- Wash clothes at 30°C
- Washing machines use less energy on one full load than two half loads
- Spin on the highest spin cycle and line dry clothes rather than tumble dry
Save energy in your study
Your study isn't usually the biggest electricity consumer, but you can still make savings by following these tips:
- Set energy saving sleep mode on your computer to kick in when idle
- Switch your computer off rather than leaving it on standby
- Switch off your printer
- Close your curtains at dusk
Save energy in your bedroom
Small energy savings can be made in your bedroom by following these simple tips:
- Insulate your window against draughts
- Close curtains at dusk to help keep heat in
- Don't leave lights on when you're not using the room
- Don't leave your TV on standby when you go to sleep
Save energy in your bathroom
Heating your hot water is one of the most energy intensive processes. To start making energy savings, follow these tips:
- Set you immersion cylinder thermostat to 60°C and have a timer fitted
- Make sure your hot water cylinder is lagged with an 80mm insulating jacket
- Take a shower instead of a bath
- You can have up to five showers for the cost of one bath
Book a free heating survey
Not sure which electric solution best suits your home? Fill in this form and we'll call you back to arrange a home heating survey.
