Lighting & Electricity

Fitting energy saving light bulbs (CFLs) in areas where lights are left on for long periods of time, or in difficult to reach places. They use about a quarter of the electricity and last eight times longer. Look for CFLs with a European "A" Rating on the box; these have electronic ballasts and are guaranteed to be efficient with a long life. (Remember Most CFLs cannot normally be used with dimmer switches or electronic timers.)

Great deals on Lamp Packs found Here !

When you’re cooking dinner, steam your food rather than using separate pans for each type of food.  This means that you can cook everything on one ring, therefore save energy and it’s healthier for you!  If you do not own a steamer or just don’t like using one, when you cook use the right size pans for your food and keep the lids on to prevent heat loss.

Defrost your fridge freezer regularly as the more frost that builds up, the more energy it takes to keep the freezer cool.  Also don’t leave the door open for longer than necessary as the cold air will escape.

After watching television make sure you fully switch it off, don’t leave it on standby as this still is using energy.  This applies to any electrical products that you may use.  Additionally, don’t leave things like mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.

When you are shopping, try to purchase energy efficient goods, you’d be surprised at the difference you could make. 

Heating

All new houses conform to building regulations where all radiators are fitted with Thermostats. But older houses still don't have these thermostat valves. By fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to your radiators you will be able to control each room individually and stop wasting money heating rooms you don't use.

TVR packs for most radiators can be found here.

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

Fit a good insulating jacket to your hot water tank if it does not have sprayed foam on the outside.

Rolling out aluminium foil behind radiators fitted to outside walls will reflect heat back into the rooms. Ordinary kitchen foil will do, or you can buy specially designed panels from DIY stores.

If you are having new carpets or flooring, fill the gaps under skirting boards and between floorboards with newspaper, papier mache or mastic sealant. Stopping the drafts will improve heat retention of the house.

Water

If you enjoy baths rather than showers make sure that your taps are fully turned off once you have filled the bath and fix taps that are leaking.  By doing this, in a week you will be able to save enough hot water to fill half a bath.  However, if you shower instead of having a bath you can dramatically reduce the amount of water that you use.  Also having cooler showers can save energy.  

You are even able to save energy when washing your clothes. You can do this by changing the temperature on your washing machine to 30 ̊. This does not mean you have to sacrifice the level of cleaning that is done as modern detergents can suitably clean clothes at this temperature. Also wash full loads where possible or use the half load button on your washing machine to save energy. Once you have done your washing instead of using a tumble dryer to dry your clothes, hang them on the line, you will save energy.

If you can't stand washing the dishes, use a modern dishwasher as these can be more energy efficient than washing by hand.

If this is done by everyone enough energy would be saved to heat the UK’s street lighting for a year.  This is because of the lower temperatures of water and the less water used this way. 

Recycling

Recycling prevents useful resources being wasted, reduces the consumption of raw materials and cuts down on energy usage. By recycling, you too can contribute to the conservation of energy.  You can recycle the majority of the items you throw away into your household bin. Even your old mobile phone; this will save you energy as well as money as you may get cash back for doing this.

Recycling rather than binning items will not only save energy but also could save you money as many councils are planning to charge households for refuse collection.  Other things that you can recycle include glass, plastic, paper, aluminium, iron and textiles.

Fuels

Soaring petrol prices in recent years has meant that we are paying a lot more for petrol then we used to.  To save petrol, drive at a normal speed rather than erratically, this will reduce the amount of petrol you need to use and therefore save you money too. 

Reduce CO₂ emissions by reducing the amount of fossil fuels you use such as coal and so not having barbeques as much can help in saving energy.  Instead why not cook your food indoors, but eat outside.

Useful Links

Energy Efficiency & renewable Energy

Energy Saving Trust

The National Energy Foundation