Dan’s top tips for saving energy

1. Turn down your thermostat by 1°C

Lowering your heating by just 1°C can save about £100 a year on your energy bills. The World Health Organisation says that 18°C is warm enough for healthy adults, with slightly higher temperatures needed for those who have long-term health conditions, are older or are pregnant. Remember, there's no need to turn up the temperature when it's colder outside. The thermostats job is to heat the home to the set temperature, it just may take longer in colder weather.

While we're talking heating, a common debate we tackle in our myth busting guide is whether it’s cheaper to leave the heating on low all day or turn it on just when you need it (the answer is below).

2. Use a timer on your heating

Set your heating to come on just when you need it, like in the morning and evening. A timer can help you cut costs by up to £75 a year. 

If you have storage heaters, consider turning the temperature down or reducing the ‘output’ setting when you’re not at home or you go to bed. This will save heat for later in the day and reduce the cost of charging the storage heater each night.

On our ‘your energy, our support’ page, we have a handy ‘Getting the most out of your digital storage heater’ video to help you understand how to best use your storage heater so that you use less energy and enjoy more warmth.

3. Know how much your appliances cost to use

To save energy, it can help to know just how much each appliance is costing. We've crunched some numbers for you, using standard appliances and rates under the Price Cap for electricity (24.5p per kilowatt hour, or kWh). These are ballpark figures as different models use different amounts of power, but it should give you a rough idea.

4. Turn down radiators or storage heaters

Make sure you control which rooms you heat, so that you're not wasting money heating empty rooms. The Government says you could save around £70 a year turning radiator valves down to between 2.5 and 3 in rooms you don’t use. Do be aware that in some homes, colder rooms could lead to more condensation, which can increase the risk of damp and mould. 

5. Use the power of the sun

Make the most of natural light during the day – open curtains and blinds throughout the house to let the light and heat in. Just remember to close them again as soon it starts to get darker in the evenings.

6. Wash clothes at 30°C

Most clothes wash just as well at 30°C. You could save around £28 a year by reducing your washing temperature. Also, instead of using the tumble dryer, hang clothes to air dry. This can save around £60 a year. Don’t allow your clothes to dry on your radiators and keep the area around your radiators free of furniture, as you’ll only be blocking the radiator from heating the room and encouraging mould growth.

7. Tweak the settings on your television

On average, we spend about four hours a day watching TV. All that viewing uses a lot of energy, but most TVs these days have special settings aimed at making them run as efficiently as possible.

Most have special 'power saving' settings, which will adjust the brightness of your screen to reduce power consumption. If not, you can tinker with the brightness and contrast of your TV yourself – lowering these will help. Some newer TVs also have sensors that can detect how much light is in a room and adjusts the brightness to match, so you're not using more than necessary.

You can also change the picture mode. Most TVs have multiple options, and generally the 'standard' option is the most energy efficient.

Many TV boxes also have an 'eco mode' setting. For example, Sky Q has an eco mode that will power down the box between 2.30am and 5.45am. Others, such as Virgin and BT, have similar settings – look for 'eco' or 'power saving' settings on your device.

Finally, always check if your TV has a sleep timer, which switches the TV off when it has been idle for a set amount of time.

8. Take shorter showers

Cutting just a minute off your shower time could save £55 a year in energy bills as you’ll need to heat less hot water each day, according to the Energy Saving Trust. You’ll also save on your water bill if you have a meter.

9. Maintain your fridge and freezer

If your freezer is looking a little frosty, you might want to consider defrosting it. This can improve its efficiency, as the motor doesn't have to work as hard. To keep your fridge running at maximum efficiency it's a good idea to give the condenser coils a clean. These are typically found on the back of the fridge and will usually have some kind of grate or cover over them. It's a good idea to turn the fridge off first. Then you'll likely need to pull the fridge away from the wall (if you can) and find a screwdriver to remove the panel covering the coils. Once you see the coils, be sure to clean the dust off gently, to avoid doing any damage.

10. Don't leave your mobile phone to charge overnight

The average mobile phone can take about three hours to fully charge. So, if you're plugging your mobile phone in overnight, you're likely wasting energy.

Instead, top up your mobile's battery throughout the day and always unplug it when fully charged. It's also worth looking at some of your settings, such as screen brightness, battery saving mode and airplane mode – these can all make the charging time much quicker (and the battery last longer). Better still, turn off your phone completely when charging it. The less power your device is using, the quicker the charge time.

11. Batch-cook meals to cut oven use

If you have the time, batch-cooking meals for the next few days or for the week ahead is the most energy efficient way to cook. You can double or triple portion sizes, or cook multiple different meals at once, freeze anything you don't use, then portion that out over the coming days.

Just remember to defrost each portion in the fridge overnight so you're not using the microwave to defrost food.

12. We’re here to help

To help you get most from your money, we’ve partnered with Citizens Advice to offer you free, confidential and helpful impartial advice. Their friendly team of expert money advisors can help you manage debt, energy costs and teach you skills that can help you care for your overall financial wellbeing. To find out more, visit our myMoney webpage.

Free winter wellbeing events

You’re also welcome to come along to one of our free ‘winter wellbeing’ events, running to the end of March 2025. You’ll receive free expert energy advice from our partners, Citizens Advice, and a free ‘winter warmth pack’ worth up to £85. The pack contains winter essentials such as a hoodie, lantern, thermos flask and more! No need to RSVP, just come along on the day. Find your closest event on our events webpage.

For more energy saving tips, please visit our cost of living hub.