10 ways to save energy that cost nothing

Faced with what seems permanently high energy costs, B&ES, the Building & Engineering Services Association, issues its top 10 tips for energy saving – all of which cost nothing. Individually the amounts saved on your energy bills may be small but taken to

1 Turning your room thermostat down by just one degree could save more than £100 a year and you will never notice the difference.

2 If you have an adjustable thermostat for your hot water you should set it tono hotter than 60°C (140°F). Any higher is a waste of energy and could scald; much lower and there may be a risk of harmful bacteria forming.

3 Turn down the radiators in any spare rooms; why pay for a warm space with nobody in it?

4Keep your doors and windows closed when the heating is on and save £15 a year.

5 Use a microwave instead of your oven – it uses less energy and takes a fraction of the time to cook.

6 Don’t ‘ dwell’ in the shower – spending one minute less in the shower each day will save £10 off your energy bills each year, per person.

7 Turn appliances off at the mains when you’ve finished using them. Switching off the standby on gadgets and appliances could save you around £50 a year on your bills.

8 Washing machines use huge amounts of energy. Some machines have low energy programmes. If you reduce the wash temperature from 40°C to 30°C it can save 40% more energy.

9 Don’t fill the kettle. If you only boil the water you actually need you could save around £20 per year.

10 Bleed your radiators at least once a year. When hot water can flow into every part of the radiator it is much more efficient.

Your local reputable, registered heating engineer will also be pleased to offer energy saving advice – to find your nearest one use the Trust Mark website: www.trustmark.org.uk.