10 Top Tips

10 Top Ways to Save Energy .   Install loft Insulation... Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy. Although it is one of the most important things to do, insulating your loft is not expensive. A standard 270mm layer could save as much as £220 per year on your fuel bills.   Fit cavity wall Insulation... Around 33% of heat lost through an uninsulated home is through the walls. CWI is the single most effective way to save energy. It could save as much as £160 on an annual heating bill. Cavity wall insulation is inexpensive; it will keep your home warm in the winter and help to keep it cool in the summer. If every suitable home fitted cavity wall insulation then annually over £962m of energy would be saved.   Buy some energy saving bulbs... The cost is a bit more than ordinary bulbs (about £3.50 each) but they will last 12 times longer and could save £9 off your annual electricity bill. This equals about £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.   Turn down your thermostat... Installing radiator panels will deliver extra heat to your room, allowing you to lower the thermostat by 1 C. By doing this you can cut your heating bills by up to 10%. This could save you £40 every year.   Don’t leave appliances on standby... Don’t leave appliances such as TVs, stereo’s and DVD players on standby, and remember not to leave rechargeable appliances like mobile phones & laptops on charge unnecessarily. Almost a billion pounds of electricity is wasted every year by people leaving appliances on standby.   Buy energy saving appliances... When replacing your appliances (especially large articles like fridges or washing machines) look for ones displaying the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Using this type of appliance could save you up to £45 a year.   Only boil what you need... Only boil as much water as you need (remembering to cover the element if you have an electric kettle). If we all did this there would be enough electricity saved to power two thirds of street lighting in the UK.   Wash at cooler temperatures... Washing your clothes at 30 C rather than normal temperatures means you can use up to 40% less electricity.   Upgrade your central heating boiler... If your boiler is over 15 years old it is probably a good time to replace it. By law new boilers must be the new high-efficiency condensing type. This kind of boiler can save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you combine this with modern controls.   Generate your own energy... Once you have taken steps to reduce the energy usage in your home, the next step is to grow your own energy. By using renewable energy devices such as home wind turbines and solar panels, you can generate most of your domestic energy requirements.