With the recent announcement of the energy prices rising by up to £96, here is a checklist of what you can do to use energy efficiently. This will save you some money and help the environment at the same time.

1. Turn off the lights

If you are about to leave a room and there is nobody else there, turn off the lights.

2. Use energy-saving light bulbs

You can easily cut energy bills by replacing traditional light bulbs with energy-saving ones. Over it’s lifetime, you could easily cut £180 from your energy bills (which.co.uk).

3. Shut off computers and entertainment devices when not in use.

According to Energy Saving Trust, you can save up to £35 a year if you switch off your devices rather than leaving them on standby.

4. Go natural

Where possible, use natural light, heat and cooling. For example, instead of using a tumble dryer, dry your laundry outside on a hot summer’s day or on a clothes rack on a cold winter’s day.

5. Make home improvements

This can be through:
Home insulation (save up to £315)
Installing a new boiler (save around £205 a year)
Cutting draughts (save approx. £20)
Install and use heating controls (save £75)

Estimated costs from which.co.uk

6. Replacing an appliance? Choose energy-efficient appliances (save £213)

Look at energy-efficient ratings to show how efficient a product is. Lab tests done by Which? show that you could save £48 on a washing machine and £69 on a fridge-freezer.

7. Make switches:

We don’t mean light switches here. We mean:

a) Switch suppliers if you haven’t done so in a while. You should always look around for better deals. You could save up to £350. (moneyexpert.com)

b) Switch to Direct Debit

By paying your energy bills through direct debit, you spread the energy costs over the year. This way you will avoid the shock of a winter bill and you could save up to £100 a year as it reduces admin costs. (moneyexpert.com)

You can get detailed information on the above tips on the following websites:

Moneyexpert.com 

Which?