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Turn off your appliances – don’t leave them on standby

The average household wastes £30 a year simply by leaving appliances on standby. Remember:

• you can't switch most electronic goods off just with the remote control
• to turn off an appliance completely, use the power switch on the appliance itself or turn it off at the plug - any appliance with a charger or an external power pack will still use power unless turned off at the plug (you can tell because the charger or power pack stays warm or may have a light on)

Try these other energy-saving tips:

Turning your central heating down by one degree could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent

• washing clothes at 30 degrees can be just as effective for a normally soiled load
• run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads
• avoid tumble drying – dry clothes outdoors when possible to save money and energy
• defrost your freezer regularly and avoid putting hot food in the freezer
• turn down your thermostat and immersion heater temperature by one degree – the savings will be significant and you are unlikely to notice the difference
• boil a kettle with only as much water as you need
• cover pots and pans when cooking – they will boil a lot quicker
• rechargeable batteries cost about twice as much as conventional ones but can be used hundreds of times
• use energy efficient light bulbs
• consider using a microwave rather than a conventional oven if you are looking to heat up a small amount of food as there is emerging research that indicates that this may save you energy

Buy energy-efficient appliances

One 20 watt bulb can save you £60 over its lifetime compared to a standard 100 watt bulb

Energy-efficient appliances are easy to find and aren’t necessarily more expensive:

• look for appliances showing the Energy Saving Recommended label, as these are among the top 20 per cent most efficient available
• look for European Union (EU) energy labels on fridges, freezers and washing machines, which make it easy to see how energy-efficient an appliance is on a scale of A to G (where A is most efficient and G is least efficient)
• if every home in the UK installed just three energy-efficient light bulbs, it would save enough energy to power all the UK's street lights

• Energy Saving Recommended label - find out more Opens new window
• EU energy label - more information Opens new window
• Find Energy Saving Recommended appliances Opens new window

Insulate your home

Most UK homes don't have the recommended amount of insulation - and nearly half of the heat in a typical home is lost through the walls and roof.

• by properly insulating your home you could save £180 a year on your heating bills
• even if you already have loft insulation, check its thickness. Adding another layer to bring it up to the recommended 270mm will save both energy and money being wasted

• Find out more about insulating and heating your home efficiently
• Find out if you qualify for a grant to help pay for insulation Opens new window

Install an energy-efficient heating system

If every household in the country installed a high-efficiency boiler, the energy saved would be enough to provide heating and power for almost two million homes.

• you can reduce the amount of energy your existing boiler consumes by up to 40 per cent by controlling it with an efficient thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves
• replacing a 10-year-old boiler with an efficient new one could reduce your energy consumption by a third

• Find out more about high-efficiency boilers Opens new window

The wider issue

Most of the energy we consume in our homes is produced using processes that release CO2 emissions into the air.

CO2 emissions are the most significant cause of climate change, so reducing your home energy use is one of the most important things you can do to fight climate change.

More useful links

• Household appliances that save energy, water and money
• Insulating and heating your home efficiently
• Watch an energy or water saving video Opens new window
• Energy Performance Certificates - their impact on the energy efficiency of your home (home and community section)