Energy Saving Tips For Your Home

13th February 2023 | Energy Saving Tips

Here, we aim to answer the most common questions people have about saving energy around your home.

Is it cheaper to keep the heating on low all day or just turn it on when I need it?

Energy Saving Trust specialists advise that it’s cheaper to set the heat on low all day; this is not necessarily true. The best approach to save energy and money in the long term is to only turn on the heat when you need it. (It’s preferable to use a timer as your thermostat turns on and off your heating to keep your home at the temperature you specify.)

The most important thing to know is that it all comes down to how much energy it takes to heat your home as a whole.

There is always energy leaking out of your home; how much will depend on how good your insulation is. The Electricity Saving Trust argues that if you leave your heater on all day, you waste electricity, therefore it’s better to simply heat your home when you need to.

However, some experts disagree. Some advise that the heating should be kept on low all day, with all radiator valves turned all the way up and the boiler turned all the way down. They add that turning the heating on and off causes moisture to form inside the walls every time it is turned off. They argue that this condensation can help move heat out of the house, which means that you will lose heat faster and use more energy. 

How much does it cost to run an electric fan?

With energy rates at an all-time high, many people are wondering if using an electric fan to stay cool this summer will hurt their wallets. The good news is that you CAN use an electric fan to beat the heat without breaking out in a cold sweat over the expense, in fact, there are a few ways to reduce your fuel bills.

Based on the government’s new price cap guarantee rates which started in October, a typical 12-inch, 35W desk fan would cost less than 1p an hour to run, or around 7p if you left it on all night.

It wouldn’t cost much more to run a huge 50W tower fan, roughly 1.7p an hour. Most large floor fans are between 100W and 120W and can cost up to 3p an hour to run.

Should I cover the windows with cling film?

Rather strangely, The Energy Saving Trust believes that this one truly works. Even though cling film is usually used to wrap your lunch, it can help keep your home warm. Putting a sheet over your window confines a thin layer of air, which can assist keep heat from escaping.

The trust says that you can use any clear and airtight material as a second layer of glazing. While clingfilm works in theory, you’ll probably want to use secondary glazing made by a professional for longer lasting results. If you have double-glazed windows, adding a third layer might make you a little warmer, but the difference won’t be as big as if you only had one layer.

If your windows are draughty, you should fix that as well as adding secondary glazing, otherwise you’ll only achieve half the benefit.

Should I leave the hot water boiler on all the time or turn it on and off as needed?

If you have a gas, oil, or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) central heating system, experts suggest it will always be cheaper to set the system timer, so that hot water only comes on when needed.

However, if you heat your water with an electric immersion heater and have an Economy 7 or 10 tariff (where electricity costs less at night,) it’s cheaper to do it at night. Make sure your tank has good insulation so that it doesn’t cool down during the day. Additionally, you could be eligible for a boiler upgrade grant.

Check your most recent energy bill or call your energy company to find your current rate.

Do gadgets or chargers that are plugged in consume electricity, even when they are not being used?

When not in use, unplug chargers and other gadgets. On its website, British Gas advises that these can use electricity if they are kept plugged in.

A lot of things, like game consoles, laptops, and TVs, also use a small amount of electricity when they are plugged in and turned on but not in use. This is known as “vampire power.” By turning off gadgets at the wall, you can easily avoid utilising this standby power.

There is disagreement among experts about how effective this is. The Energy Saving Trust still believes you can save approximately £28 a year by turning off your appliances at the plug. British Gas says it could be £77 a year (which we think is a bit high.)

In standby mode, TVs and other devices built in the EU after 2013 can’t use more than 0.5 watts. For example, if you watched TV for four hours a day and kept it on standby the rest of the time, it would cost you £1.24 a year.

It is believed that most modern devices use a lot less power when they are turned off than they did in the past. Even if you don’t save as much as the Energy Saving Trust thinks you would, it may still be worth it because every device still uses a modest amount of electricity, which adds up.

Do smart meters help to save money?

Not on their own. Smart meters simply replace your existing gas and electricity meters (one for each,) measure your usage and automatically send meter readings to your supplier each month. However, they can help you identify ways to save energy via the in-home display that comes with your smart meter.

This is a small gadget that communicates wirelessly with your smart meters, monitoring what energy you’re using and showing you how much it costs, in near real time.

With more information on your day-to-day energy use, it should assist you in finding ways to cut back.

Which costs less: electric heaters or radiators?

Electric heaters are one of the most expensive ways to heat your home, according to the Energy Saving Trust. It indicates that an efficient gas central heating system with a full set of thermostatic radiator valves, a room thermostat, and a timer is the cheapest way to heat your home.

Should I leave my appliances on overnight?

If you’re on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff, you’ll pay less at night but more during the day than usual. It does not matter if you’re on a different rate plan.

Check if an appliance is safe to use at night before you use it. Check your most recent energy bill or call your energy company to find out what rate you’re on.

Should I put individual thermostats on each radiator instead of utilising the main thermostat to control them all?
It’s best to have as many controls as possible so that you can decide how to heat your home. The Energy Saving Trust says that if you put in thermostatic radiator valves and use them with your thermostat, you may save £75 a year.

They advise using the thermostat to adjust the heat in your main living space and thermostatic radiator valves to lower the heat in rooms you don’t use as often.

What’s the difference between using the thermostat or radiator valves?

The boiler is controlled by the thermostat, and the flow of water via each radiator is controlled by its own valve.

Your thermostat controls the temperature in your home, so when it reaches the degree you set on the thermostat, the boiler will turn off until the room temperature drops again.

Radiator valves are an extra control that can be used to change the temperature in each room (other than where your main thermostat is.) This means you can make some rooms cooler than others if you don’t use them as much, saving energy and money.

When the temperature in that room goes over what is set on the radiator valve, water will cease flowing through that radiator. The boiler will still be running to heat other rooms, but it will consume less energy.

Would it help if I painted my radiators black or put reflective panels behind them?

The Energy Saving Trust maintains that painting your radiators black is not helpful. Even though the difference isn’t very big, it’s important to maintain them white. Panels on radiators can save some energy, but not much. Insulating your walls is more vital if you don’t want any heat to escape from your home.

The Energy Saving Trust advises that installing reflective panels behind radiators could help minimise energy use. The idea is that they reflect the heat from the radiator back into the room so it doesn’t escape through the walls. The charity claims that residences with walls that don’t have insulation will gain the most from this method. RES can help to see if your property is eligible for a solid wall insulation grant.

Should I turn on the gas fireplace in the living room or all the radiators instead?

It depends a lot on how you heat your home and how other parts of the house are used. Every home uses heating in different ways, at different times of the day and in different rooms, so the answer to this question truly relies on how you use your home.

If my heat is on, should I keep the doors open or closed?

It’s better to keep doors closed for rooms that you don’t heat, says the Energy Saving Trust.

Radiators, electric panel heaters and convection heaters all work by creating a convection current in a room. As hot air rises, it circles around to the other side of the room, cools and sinks and travels back along the floor to the heater to be reheated again.

Closing doors makes sure this current remains within the designated space, and stops cold air entering.

Can I keep the lights and appliances on or should I turn them on and off each time?

The Energy Saving Trust says that any time you leave a room, no matter how briefly, you should turn off the lights and be aware of how many lights you have on at once. Also, do not leave TVs or other devices in the “standby” mode.

Can I use a tumble dryer or should I hang my clothes on a heated clothes rack?

Tumble dryers take a lot of power, therefore an airer is better. Try putting your laundry out on a clothes horse at the same time that your heat comes on.

If you dry your clothing indoors on an airer, condensation and moisture can be an issue, especially in old homes with bad insulation, therefore it’s best to dry your garments outside whenever the weather allows.

Want to learn about other energy saving tips for your home?

Residential Energy Services have people on hand to help explain what long term solutions your home could benefit from, check if you are eligible for ECO scheme funding here!