Nations Energy Saving Tips with British Gas (AD)

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With energy prices rising recently there has never been a more important time to look to make the most of energy saving tips and reduce consumption, and costs, any way that we can.

To help protect consumers, the Government has announced the Energy Price Guarantee which runs from 1 October 2022. This new scheme will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a household with typical energy use in Great Britain pays, on average, around £2,500 year on their energy bill, for the next 6 months. How does it work, I hear you ask… It is a cap on the unit cost of electricity and gas, rather than an overall cap on the amount that you can be charged. This makes keeping consumption lower just as important as ever and understanding electricity bills, will also help you to see how many units of energy you’re using each day.

British Gas, supplier to around 8 million customers in the UK, has asked me to share some of my best energy saving tips with you, to help you make the most of your home this Winter, and reduce consumption too. British Gas offer a range of energy-efficient boilers, energy efficient tips and smart home systems to allow you to stay in control of your energy usage and save on energy bills.

Here are some of my favourite tips, for saving energy around the home, and the approximate amount of money that you can save annually:

Draught-proof gaps in your home

Gaps around windows and doors can cause huge amounts of heat loss to your home. Gaps around the floor and chimney can also add to this considerably. By doing some DIY draught-proofing in your home you could save £125 annually. Source

Swap one bath for a shower

While soaking in the bath is a lovely reward, at the end of a long day, by swapping just one of your baths weekly for a 4-minute shower you can save £20 annually. Source

4-minute showers

Speaking of 4-minute showers, you can save £95 annually just by setting a timer when you’re in the shower. Source

Fit an aerator to your kitchen tap

This takes just a couple of minutes and save help you save £30 annually. Source

These tips alone can help you save £270, for a very small initial outlay.

Storing, cooling, cooking and freezing food accounts for almost 30% of the average power consumption of a house for the average family, and so here are some of my favourite cooking specific tips to help cut this usage:

Choose energy efficient appliances

White goods, such as fridges, ovens and dishwashers, have a label on them stating their energy efficiency rating. When the need for new appliances arises, due to breakdown or moving into your first home, be sure to aim for the most energy efficient device you can make work in your budget.

Look after your appliances

Vacuum the back of your fridge and freezer at least every quarter. This will help it to run more efficiently.

Run cleaning cycles and change filters on your devices to help them run most efficiently and use the least energy.

Avoid leaving appliances on standby

This one is self-explanatory really – turn plugs off at the wall when they’re not in use to help save a little energy.

Save energy when you cook

Heat only the water you need in your kettle. Use lids on saucepans when in use. Turn the heat off 2 minutes before your food has finished cooking on the hob, as the residual heat will finish it for you. Look through the glass oven door, rather than opening the door to check if your food is cooking.

When you’ve finished cooking using your air fryer or oven leave the door or drawers open, so the leftover heat doesn’t go to waste – but be sure to keep young children away from any warm appliances.

Save energy when you freeze food

If, like me, you enjoy batch cooking to save some money, then always ensure that your food has cooled before placing into the fridge or freezer.

Work efficiently when filling up your fridge, to avoid having the door open for long periods of time. I personally have little trays that I remove from the fridge, fill up in the kitchen, and then place back into the fridge. This avoids the door being open for more than a few seconds when unpacking my groceries and prevents the fridge having to work harder to chill the air again.

I recently ran a poll over on my Instagram where I asked a few questions to my followers and these were the results:

Average household size:

1 person: 5%

2-3 people: 45%

4-5 people: 46%

6+ people: 4%

Average monthly bill:

£50-£99: 16%

£100-£149: 38%

£150-£199: 25%

£200+: 21%

I also asked if people have been looking for energy and money saving tips and the results were:

Give me all the tips: 67%

Sometimes: 28%

No: 5%

Some additional tips from my lovely Instagram followers:

• Use a heated airer instead of a tumble drier.
• Use the microwave to begin the cooking process for items such as jacket potatoes or for steaming vegetables.
• Change your radiator valves to thermostatic radiator valves to allow you to control the temperature in individual rooms with ease.
• Remember that using the air fryer isn’t energy-saving if the oven is already on.
• Try out microwaveable slippers or a heated blanket to help warm yourself up.
• Save boiled kettle water in a flask to use later.
• Use draft excluders and door curtains.
• Wear warmer clothing.
• Fill up a hot water bottle to take to bed with you.
• Try and batch cook multiple meals to save on energy usage.
• Turn off everything when you leave the house – including wi-fi!
• Turn off laptop and phone chargers when not in use.

If you’re looking for some more tips then check out my post on how to save money on heating costs.

If you are having difficulties paying your bills always speak with your supplier to let them know you’re struggling. The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charitable trust set up to support families and individuals facing financial hardship and fuel poverty across England, Wales and Scotland. There is help available whether you are a British Gas customer, or with a different supplier.

This post is in conjunction with British Gas but all thoughts are my own.