1. Turn off standby mode

When you leave electrical appliances on but unused, they enter ‘standby mode’. While the device looks like it isn’t using up any energy, it is using electricity in the background, referred to as ‘phantom power’. Although the device appears turned off, it is still using up to per cent of the power it consumes while it is turned on.

This mounts up when you consider how many devices are left in standby. Up to 40 per cent of gamers leave their consoles on standby, and 75 per cent of people leave their TV in standby mode, so there are savings to be had!

Even prior to the increased fuel rates, the Energy Savings Trust estimated that  £80 of our annual energy bill is made up of standby power!

Appliances like microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers, TV’s, computers, and games consoles all use power in standby. Turn these devices off at the wall and switch your computer to ‘sleep mode’ to save money.

2. Switch to energy-efficient devices

According to the BBC,  £68 million is wasted across British households due to overfilled kettles. Only boil what you need or save up to 30 per cent energy by purchasing an environmentally friendly kettle which can keep water hot for up to four hours to save re-boiling costs!

15% of a home’s energy usage is down to lighting. One of the fastest ways to reduce your energy bills is to install LED energy-efficient lighting. LED lights display full brightness as soon as they are switched on. It is still important to switch lights off if you’re not using them. The ‘old fashioned’ lightbulbs, or ‘incandescent’ light bulbs, only convert 5 per cent of energy into visible light, so you are paying more, for less light!

If you regularly have baths, switch to showers for quick energy savings, as there is less water to heat. Even better still is to use an energy-saving showerhead to reduce your water usage by an additional 30 per cent.

If you are buying white goods this year, it has never been more important to check the energy efficiency labels. Refrigeration, in particular, costs the UK £2bn every year in electricity as they are never switched off. Always aim for an ‘A’ rating.

3. Save energy washing your clothes

Household laundry contributes significantly to your energy bills. There are ways to reduce your costs:4. Reduce costs of staying warm

4. Improving the insulation of your home is a weekend DIY or handyman job that could make Winter 2022/23 that little more comfortable, financially, and personally.

With many likely to only consider this closer to winter, and availability of tradesmen becoming limited due to demand at that time, this could be a sensible project to tackle this Spring.

5. Consider solar

Many new build homes now come with varying version of solar panels, paving the way for the future of energy. If your home doesn’t have solar panels, spiraling energy costs may inspire you to future proof your home and consider solar panels.

On average, a single panel can produce up to 300 watts of energy and depending on the size of solar panels you have, will cost around £5,000. Some of this can be offset by exporting solar energy back to the National Grid. If you are in a position to install solar, it could be a great investment for the future – sunlight will remain free while energy bills are going to continue to rise.

Daily energy-saving tips: 

It’s changing habits that can be the hardest element of costs savings to conquer.