Energy Saving Tips

Hot water should be hot, but it doesn't need to be scalding. For most people, setting the cylinder thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing and washing and will save you up to £10 per year.
Always put the plug in your basin or sink. Never leave hot water taps running with the plug removed.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
Keep furniture away from radiators if possible. The foam in an upholstered chair is a heat insulator, so it stops some of the heat warming the rest of the room.
Always turn lights off when you leave a room and open your curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible during the day.
Don't leave cordless and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
Use only the heat and light appliances you need. Don't leave TVs or videos on standby.
Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape. Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge; allow it to cool down first. Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently and so reduce running costs. Avoid putting your fridge next to a cooker or boiler. If you do have to, leave a good gap between them.
If you use a particular light for an average of four hours or more a day, then replace the light bulb with an energy-saving equivalent which will use around a quarter of the electricity. Energy-efficient bulbs cost around £5 each, but will give you a saving on your bills of £10 per bulb over the year and will last an average of 12 years.
Regularly defrost your freezer and try to keep it packed full, even if this is with scrunched-up paper, to avoid wasting energy. You should also check the seal on your fridge / freezer to ensure no warm air is getting in. The seals should be tight enough to hold a piece of paper securely when closed.
Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine and use a low-temperature (40°C) wash. With today's washing powders this temperature is plenty to clean clothes and will save you up to three-quarters of the cost of the hottest cycle.
Don't put really wet clothes into a tumble-dryer; wring them out or spin-dry them first. It's much faster and will save you money.
For dishwashers, try to use the low-temperature programme, and ensure you wash a full load.
When cooking, choose the right size pan for the food and the cooker, cut food into smaller pieces and put lids on pans, as the food will then cook a lot quicker. If you are defrosting food, or just warming things up, then microwave ovens are ideal as they use much less electricity than conventional ovens.
When boiling the kettle, only use the amount of water you need. Make sure you cover the elements if you are using an electric kettle. Jug-type kettles have smaller elements and so need less water.
Make sure taps are turned off properly. In just one day, a dripping hot water tap can waste energy and enough water to fill a bath.
An ordinary shower uses only 40% of the water you need for a bath. If you don't have a shower, shower attachments for bath taps can be bought from many DIY stores.
The sun is the most readily available source of heat there is - and the cheapest. So make the most of it by opening internal doors of any rooms that get more sun than others and let the warm air flow through your home. Avoid using tumble-driers and radiators to dry your clothes; on nice sunny days clothes can be dried outside.