Energy saving tips – 20 tips that can help reduce bills

Ovo Energy has faced widespread criticism after it sent an email of ‘energy saving tips’ to SSE Energy customers, a firm it owns, including advising them to cuddle pets to stay warm.

Other ‘tips’ included telling customers to keep the oven open after cooking and to perform star jumps. 

It comes at a time when energy prices are at record highs with costs expected to surge even further, thanks to increasing wholesale costs, with many struggling to pay their bills. 

Now Ovo has apologised for the incident, saying it is ’embarrassed’.

There are a number of energy saving tips that can help homes save over the course of a year

An Ovo Energy spokesperson said: ‘Recently a link to a blog containing energy saving tips was sent to customers. We understand how difficult the situation will be for many of our customers this year.

‘We are working hard to find meaningful solutions as we approach this energy crisis, and we recognise that the content of this blog was poorly judged and unhelpful. We are embarrassed and sincerely apologise.’

While Ovo’s tips were less than practical and subsequently faced backlash from consumers, there are still many energy saving tips consumers can put into practice.  

This is Money has spoken to Energy Helpline, Uswitch and the Energy Saving Trust, to find out how households can really save energy – and cut costs on their bills at the same time.

Much of it is common knowledge, but with bills rising, it is always useful to have a refresher: 

1. Turn devices around the home off standby, or onto idle mode. Doing so could save you £40 a year on your bills. 

2. Draught proof gaps around windows, doors and floorboards by fitting foam strips, plastic seals or brushes. Seal gaps between floors and skirting boards with a simple sealant bought from any DIY store. This could save you £30 a year. 

3. Turning the lights off when leaving a room everytime could help you save £14 a year.

4. Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures, an action that could save you £10 a year.

5. Only boil the water you need in your kettle, saving £8 a year.

6. Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important. Even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick. This could save you £20 a year. 

Energy prices have soared in recent times with costs expected to increase even further

7. Keep your shower time to four minutes. Doing so could save you £45 a year.

8. In the same vein, swapping one bath a week for a 4-minute shower could save you £7 a year. 

9. Fit an aerator onto your existing kitchen tap to reduce the amount of water coming out without affecting its effectiveness. This is a small gadget with tiny holes – they attach to the spout of taps and are cheap and easy to install. This could save you £14 a year. 

10. Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £10 a year. 

11. Similarly, only wash your clothes in your washing machine when you have a full load. Reducing your washing machine use by one run per week for a year could also save you £10 a year. Wherever possible, reduce the temperature at which you wash at, a drop from 60 degrees to 40 degrees, for example, will make a difference. 

12. Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes. Instead, dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather. This could save you £40 a year. 

13. Turn your a thermostat down 1 degree and save £80 a year.

14. In a home without any heating controls, installing and correctly using a programmer room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves could save you £85 a year.

Turning your a thermostat down 1 degree could save you £80 a year, energy experts say

15. If you have an open chimney, draught-proofing your chimney when you’re not using it could save around £20 a year.

16. If you replace all the bulbs in your home with LED lights, you could save £30 a year on your electricity bills.

17. Fit curtains as well as blinds as this prevents cold windows from cooling down the room. Curtains are a great option for preventing heat loss – remember to close them at night when it’s colder and open them again when the sun comes out to let the heat back in. 

Keeping your curtains or blinds closed after the sun sets will reduce the amount of heat that escapes from your home through your windows, by as much as 25 per cent.

18. Bleed your radiators regularly as this can reduce your radiators from having cold spots and leaving you without warmth.

19. Keep your radiators obstruction-free as objects that are in the way can absorb some of the heat from your radiator – and one of the biggest culprits for this is the sofa.     

Anything up against your radiator will prevent it from working as effectively, and reduce the benefit you feel in your home, as the furniture absorbs the radiating heat.

If you can’t practically keep your radiator clear, just give it some space to breathe, and even pulling your settee a few inches clear will make a significant difference. 

20. Fill up your freezer: Your fridge and freezer is one of the biggest drains on your electricity usage, but there are ways to ensure both run as efficiently as possible. You want to keep your freezer full, as this means less energy is required keep it cold.

If you are nearing your big shop time, and items have dwindled, then fill up some bottles of water and pop them in, which works just as well in keeping your freezer working more efficiently.

Unlike your freezer, your fridge needs space to keep it working optimally. Make sure there is space for the cold air to circulate, especially around the top and the sides of the fridge.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk