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| How to cut your energy bills | How to cut your energy bills |
| (7 days later) | |
| Energy bills went up at the start of October, with households in England, Wales and Scotland using a typical amount of gas and electricity now paying significantly more. | |
| Energy-saving measures won't make up for the sharp rise in prices. But taken together, lots of small changes could save hundreds of pounds a year. | Energy-saving measures won't make up for the sharp rise in prices. But taken together, lots of small changes could save hundreds of pounds a year. |
| What is the energy price cap and what will I actually pay? | What is the energy price cap and what will I actually pay? |
| 1. Use an air fryer or microwave instead of an oven | 1. Use an air fryer or microwave instead of an oven |
| Ovens can be an inefficient way of cooking as they involve heating a relatively large space. Using a microwave, pressure cooker or air fryer instead could save money. | Ovens can be an inefficient way of cooking as they involve heating a relatively large space. Using a microwave, pressure cooker or air fryer instead could save money. |
| Microwaves usually save energy as they cook faster. For example, a baked potato could take 70 minutes in an oven, 60 minutes in an air fryer and 8 minutes in a microwave, according to energy efficiency website Sust-it. | |
| However, be aware there are a number of variables that will affect the amount of energy you use. The efficiency of your oven, for example, will be affected by its size and how well it is insulated. | |
| 2. Switch to LED lightbulbs | 2. Switch to LED lightbulbs |
| Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household's energy consumption, according to The Energy Saving Trust and Which? | Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household's energy consumption, according to The Energy Saving Trust and Which? |
| Switching to LED bulbs can make a big difference. | Switching to LED bulbs can make a big difference. |
| A household using a dozen 40W incandescent or halogen bulbs for four hours a day could spend about £238 per year, Sust-it estimates. LED equivalents would cost £41.70 - a saving of £196.30 a year. | A household using a dozen 40W incandescent or halogen bulbs for four hours a day could spend about £238 per year, Sust-it estimates. LED equivalents would cost £41.70 - a saving of £196.30 a year. |
| LED bulbs can cost more, but have a longer lifespan and will save money over time. | LED bulbs can cost more, but have a longer lifespan and will save money over time. |
| 3. Take control of your central heating | 3. Take control of your central heating |
| Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature (often 18 to 21C). | Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature (often 18 to 21C). |
| Turning your thermostat down just one degree could cut bills by about £145 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. This is based on a semi-detached house with the heating on between 7am-9am and 4pm-11pm on week days and between 7am-11pm at weekends. | Turning your thermostat down just one degree could cut bills by about £145 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. This is based on a semi-detached house with the heating on between 7am-9am and 4pm-11pm on week days and between 7am-11pm at weekends. |
| In smaller homes, like a terraced house or a flat, the savings will be lower. | In smaller homes, like a terraced house or a flat, the savings will be lower. |
| You can also turn the heating off in rooms you're not using. | You can also turn the heating off in rooms you're not using. |
| Bleeding radiators to remove trapped air and moving furniture away from them helps warms air flow more easily around a room. | Bleeding radiators to remove trapped air and moving furniture away from them helps warms air flow more easily around a room. |
| 4. Insulate and draught-proof your home | 4. Insulate and draught-proof your home |
| If your home is poorly insulated it will lose heat more easily and be harder to keep warm. | If your home is poorly insulated it will lose heat more easily and be harder to keep warm. |
| Insulation and draught-proofing - to stop heat escaping around doors and windows - helps trap heat. | Insulation and draught-proofing - to stop heat escaping around doors and windows - helps trap heat. |
| Professional draught-proofing might cost about £225, the Energy Saving Trust says. However, it can save about £125 a year - based on a typical semi-detached home. | Professional draught-proofing might cost about £225, the Energy Saving Trust says. However, it can save about £125 a year - based on a typical semi-detached home. |
| DIY options like self-adhesive strips for window gaps and heavy curtains can also save you money. | DIY options like self-adhesive strips for window gaps and heavy curtains can also save you money. |
| "It's not necessarily going to be a huge cost saving, but what it will do is make your home feel more comfortable at a lower temperature," says Emily Seymour, sustainability editor at Which?. | "It's not necessarily going to be a huge cost saving, but what it will do is make your home feel more comfortable at a lower temperature," says Emily Seymour, sustainability editor at Which?. |
| Most heat is lost through the roof, so loft insulation should be a priority. | Most heat is lost through the roof, so loft insulation should be a priority. |
| For renters, installing insulation may not be an option as landlords are responsible for major improvements. However, landlords can be fined for renting properties which don't meet minimum energy efficiency standards. | For renters, installing insulation may not be an option as landlords are responsible for major improvements. However, landlords can be fined for renting properties which don't meet minimum energy efficiency standards. |
| How can renters make their homes warmer and greener? | How can renters make their homes warmer and greener? |
| How can better insulation cut energy bills? | How can better insulation cut energy bills? |
| 5. Make better use of appliances | 5. Make better use of appliances |
| Washing machines and tumble dryers can be energy hungry, according to Emily Seymour. But there are ways to use them efficiently, she says. | Washing machines and tumble dryers can be energy hungry, according to Emily Seymour. But there are ways to use them efficiently, she says. |
| Use any eco settings and turn your machine down - particularly if clothes aren't that dirty. | Use any eco settings and turn your machine down - particularly if clothes aren't that dirty. |
| Washing clothes at 30 C and using one less cycle a week could save £28 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. | Washing clothes at 30 C and using one less cycle a week could save £28 a year, the Energy Saving Trust says. |
| If you can, dry clothes outside instead of in a tumble dryer. It will cost at least £36 a year to run an energy efficient dryer from October, based on average usage, or as much as £159 for an inefficient models, Sust-it says. | If you can, dry clothes outside instead of in a tumble dryer. It will cost at least £36 a year to run an energy efficient dryer from October, based on average usage, or as much as £159 for an inefficient models, Sust-it says. |
| Not using an inefficient dryer for four months during the summer could save up to £70 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust. | Not using an inefficient dryer for four months during the summer could save up to £70 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust. |
| 6. Take shorter showers | 6. Take shorter showers |
| A typical household with gas heating will see about 12% of its energy bill used to heat water for showers, baths and taps, the Energy Saving Trust says. | A typical household with gas heating will see about 12% of its energy bill used to heat water for showers, baths and taps, the Energy Saving Trust says. |
| However, if you have a power shower the saving could be less as you'll use more hot water. | However, if you have a power shower the saving could be less as you'll use more hot water. |
| Meanwhile, cutting your shower time from eight to four minutes could save £70 a year. This is based on five showers a week. | Meanwhile, cutting your shower time from eight to four minutes could save £70 a year. This is based on five showers a week. |
| Correction 20 October: An earlier version of this article contained figures for an oven that were not adjusted for thermostatic controls and for a microwave that did not reflect inefficiency. These have been corrected. |