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Saving Energy
The are many organisations offering energy advice; every council and support organisation seems to think they have to have a web page offering advice. You won't be surprised to hear that most are offering the same content.
On reviewing these sites, we have noticed that most are exaggerating the savings that can be obtained, especially the blogs and third party sites. This doesn't mean they are invalid as savings can range greatly depending on your own actions and your appliance settings before and after enacting a change to save energy, and how much you require a particular service.
Just be warned that you might save half of the figure suggested from some sources.
Potential Actions and Savings
| Energy Saving Measure | Potential Annual Saving |
|---|---|
| Instead of a tumble dryer, hang clothes up on the wall with hooks and place a dehumidifier next to them | £56 |
| Switching off appliances that are normally left on standby | £70 |
| Draught-proofing gaps | £125 |
| Not overfilling a kettle | £43 |
| Turning down boiler flow temperature | £112 |
| Bleeding your radiators | £132 |
| Minimise time in the shower by lathering up before getting in, then use the shower for a minute or less to wash off | £24 |
| Using a clothes airer near the radiator with a bed sheet over it to dry quickly | £70 |
National Sources for Advice
There is so much duplicated advice for energy saving we have just listed the national sources below. These offer all the advice available and present it well. Pick the one that you find suits your situation and preferred way of learning.
- Age UK - Energy saving tips to reduce energy bills
- Centre for Sustainable Energy - Energy Advice
- Citizens Advice - Make your home more energy efficient
- Energy Saving Trust - Quick Tips to save Energy
- Government - Help with your energy bills
- Money Saving Expert - Energy saving tips
- National Energy Action - What to do if you are struggling with your energy bills
- Ofgem (Energy Regulator) - Actions for saving energy
- Smart Energy GB - Smart Energy Tips.
Appliance Running Costs
The largest proportion of most household's electricity bill comes from running appliances which heat water like immersion heaters, washing machines, dishwashers and electric showers.
The table below calculates the running cost for various appliances. We have set a default price for a unit of electricity of [Retrieving Price]p per kWh (average direct debit rate including VAT) which is the price cap from [Retrieving Date] as announced by Ofgem the energy regulator.
This is the average price across the country. Prices vary by where you live and how you pay. For example, each unit of electricity under this price cap costs 2.5p more on average in North West England compared with the North East.
If you know your own unit rate, please enter it in the field below.
We will store your entry so that you don't have to find it again.
| Appliance | Power (Watts) | Cost per 10 Minutes |
Cost per Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retrieving Costs | |||
We have rounded the costs up to the nearest penny, otherwise some costs would show as zero which is obviously not the case.
(Page updated: 2024-11-22)