Energy Saving Tips

Monitor your energy use. Awareness will help you take steps to cut your electricity bills by as much as 15%.

Turn appliances and lights off when you leave a room. Electronic devices using stand-by power can waste 8% of your home’s electricity use.

Insulate your walls and ceilings, pipes and water heater.

Cook small meals in the microwave instead of the oven. The microwave uses much less energy.

Get your air conditioning serviced regularly.

Scrape rather than rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.

Take showers instead of baths, and limit your time in the shower.

Don’t run the tap while you are brushing your teeth.

Repair leaking plumbing quickly.

Purchasing energy-efficient products could cut your electricity bill by 30%.

Change your old incandescent light bulbs to a new compact fluorescent product.

Keep central heating to between 18°C and 22°C. One degree could make a 10% difference to your energy bill. British regulations state 16°C as the minimum temperature for a standard work place.

Hang heavy, floor-length curtains to keep out drafts in winter.

Check your fridge’s door seals, they should be able to grip a piece of paper securely.

Install a cistern displacement device in old toilets to save a litre of water a flush.

Put a jumper on if you’re cold. If you’re hot, take it off.

Try and cut back on flying and use public transport where possible.

Recycle your rubbish.

* Sources: US EPA, Woking Borough Council, www.waterwise.org.uk, www.carbonindependent.org, UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Oxford University