One of the ways to reduce your fuel bills is to think about how you use energy within your home. The following tips will help you reduce the amount of energy you consume and save money on your fuel bills.
For more information on how best to save energy, please visit the Energy Saving Trust website.
Around 33 percent of the heat lost in your home is through the walls, so insulating them can be the most cost effective way to save energy in the home. Installing cavity wall insulation can save you up to £150 per year on your heating bills.
Laying your loft with 10 inches of insulation can save you around 25 percent of your home's energy use. An adequate amount of insulation (270mm) can also save you around a quarter of heating costs and up to £200 every year.
Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £78 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
Replace boilers over 15 years old with a new energy efficient one. High efficiency condensing boilers are the most energy efficient and can save up to a third of your annual heating bills.
Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £100 per year.
Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set any higher than 60ºC/140ºF.
Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programmes.
Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off.