Monday 25 November 2013

Brief 6 // Life With Energy // Saving Energy in the Home

Information from energysavingtrust.org.uk

Top Energy Saving Tips
Lower-cost tip

Draught excluder: Unless your home is very new, you’re likely to be losing some heat through draughts around doors and windows, gaps around the floor, maybe up a chimney or two, and a whole host of other little holes around the house.

Why not buy some proper draught-proofing products for the doors and windows, seal your skirting boards with silicone sealant, and fit a chimney draught excluder or sealed fire guards?  DIY draught proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards could cost up to £115, but could save £55 a year in a draughty home, so these works can pay for themselves in just over two years.

Turn it off: Try to be aware of unnecessary lights left on, and appliances left plugged-in or on standby. Nearly all electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without upsetting their systems – some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record – but check the instructions on any appliances you aren’t sure about.

A typical household could save between £50 and £90 a year just by remembering to turn off appliances left on standby.

Careful in the kitchen: You can save over £55 a year [1] just by being careful how you use your kitchen appliances. The following tips can help you reach this saving:

Set your washing machine to wash at 30°C.
Using a bowl to wash up rather than leaving the hot tap running.
Don’t fill your kettle right up every time – just boil the amount of water you need.
Get a head: If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower) then you may be able to fit a water-efficient shower head and that could reduce your hot water usage whilst still maintaining the sensation of a powerful shower.

Some water companies are giving shower heads away for free, so maybe contact your water company to see if you could receive one. Through installing a water-efficient shower head, a family of four could save around £75 a year on gas for water heating, as well as a further £90 on water bills if they have a water meter [2].

Medium cost tips

New heating controls: Whatever the age of your boiler, the right controls will let you set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them, heat just the areas of your home you want, and decide how warm you want each area to be. Installing a room thermostat if you didn’t have one before could save £70.

This also means you can then make savings by using your controls more effectively, for example, turning down your room thermostat by just one degree if it’s too warm inside could save around £65

Loft insulation: We recommend having at least 270mm (ten inches) of loft insulation, so it might be worth checking whether you could make your home warmer by topping up levels of loft insulation. You could save up to £180 a year if your loft is uninsulated by installing 270mm of insulation. Even if you have some insulation by topping up from 100mm to 270mm could save around £25 a year.

Lighten your load: Have you changed all your light bulbs for low-energy ones? Even the halogen spots?  You can now get LED spotlights that are bright enough to replace halogens, as well as regular energy saving bulbs (‘compact fluorescent lamps’ or CFLs) for pretty much everything else. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fittings.

If the average household replaced all their remaining old-fashioned bulbs with CFLs and all their halogens with LEDs it would cost around £110 and save around £60 a year.

Higher-cost tips

Cavity wall insulation: If a home was built after 1920, the chances are that its external walls are made of two layers of brick with a gap or cavity between them. Cavity wall insulation fills that gap, keeping the warmth in to save energy. The average installation cost for cavity wall insulation is between £450 and £500 and can save up to £140 a year. The measure could pay for itself in under four years.

Greater savings and income for renewable technology: While the Feed in tariff for electricity generating solar PV panels is going down, the average cost for electricity is going up. In addition the cost of panels is going down which means that now could be a great time to invest in solar PV. A typical 4kWP panel could generate and save you £785 per year. Despite costs falling over the last year, they do vary between installers and system sizes (costs can be between £5,500 and £9,000), so we recommend getting quotes from at least three MCS accredited installers.

It’s also worth exploring renewable heating technologies, such as heat pumps, following the announcement of financial incentives through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Not only will households benefit from energy savings but they will also receive additional income for the energy produced.

Whole house energy makeover: There are plenty of other things that can be done to improve the energy performance of your home, such as floor and solid wall insulation, replacement doors and windows, or a new heating system. Many of these will cost quite a bit to fit but if you get it all done at once the disruption will be less and the total savings can be quite spectacular. And there may be schemes to help finance a comprehensive package of improvements. We recommend calling the Energy Saving Advice Service for guidance on the most appropriate package of improvements for you, and for information on any support that may be available.

Tips from experts
Heating your home: keeping warm but keeping bills down

David Weatherall, domestic heating expert, looks at why turning on the heating does not have to mean uncontrollable energy bills.

“As it gets colder outside, the heating will start to come on in the home. This means it will be important for households to start looking at how they can keep energy bills down but remain comfortable in the home at the same time. Unless your home is very new, it’s likely to be losing some heat through draughts around the house. Draught proofing products are a good way to fix these draughts and have an up-front cost of up to £115, but could save £55 a year.

“Another measure, which is slightly more expensive, is heating controls. Whatever the age of your boiler, the right controls will let you set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them, heat just the areas of your home you want, and decide how warm you want each area to be. Installing a room thermostat, if you didn’t have one before, will save £70, with an extra potential saving of £65 by turning down your room thermostat by just one degree if it’s too warm inside.”

How we use appliances

Greg Shreeve, domestic appliance expert, looks at how small changes to the way we use appliances in the home can make a big difference to our energy bills.

“Small changes to how you use energy in the home can make a big difference to energy bills. It sounds simple but turning off lights and electrical appliances left on standby can help save money on energy bills. A household could save between £50 and £90 a year by doing so, which highlights these potential savings.

“At the same time, how we use our appliances can make a difference. One room in the home to look at would be the kitchen, where households could save over £55 per year just by setting the washing machine to wash at 30C, using a bowl to wash up dirty dishes and only filling-up the kettle with the amount of water you need.”

Water efficiency equals lower energy bills

Andrew Tucker, domestic water expert, looks at why water efficiency means saving money on energy bills.

“When people think of energy use they think of heating and lighting, running electrical appliances or filling the car with petrol. It’s all too easy to turn on the tap and not think about the consequences. However, on average, hot water use contributes about £228 to the average annual combined energy bill. It’s clear that we are all using more water-consuming devices and appliances regularly, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to control our water use.

“One area to look at for energy savings is the shower, which is the biggest consumer of water in the home – using a quarter of the household total. If you’ve got a shower that takes hot water straight from your boiler or hot water tank (rather than an electric shower), you may be able to fit a water-efficient shower head that could reduce your hot water usage while still enjoying the sensation of a powerful shower. Some water companies are giving shower heads away for free, so we would recommend contacting your water company to find out whether you can receive one."

Installing renewable technology

Jaryn Bradford, renewable technology expert, looks at why now could be a great time to look at installing renewable technology in the home.

“The feed-in tariff rate for solar PV panels is steadily going down, but the income and savings have actually gone up in the past year. This is because electricity tariffs are going up, while the cost for installing solar PV is going down and households are installing bigger systems in their home. This means now could be a great time to invest in solar PV, with a typical 4kWP system having the potential to generate and save £785 per year. Despite costs falling, they do vary between installers and system sizes (costs can be between £5,500 and £9,000), so we recommend getting quotes from at least three MCS accredited installers.

“It’s also worth exploring renewable heating technologies, such as heat pumps, following the announcement of financial incentives through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Not only will households benefit from energy savings but they will also receive additional income for the energy produced. Our recent report, The heat is on, provides expert guidance for householders who are looking to install a heat pump in their home.”

Insulate for long-term savings

Brian Horne, domestic energy expert, talks about how insulation can make big long-term savings despite the higher up-front cost.

“A good place to start when looking at insulating your home is the loft. We recommend having at least 270mm (ten inches) of loft insulation, so it might be worth checking whether you could make the home warmer by topping up its levels. Insulating a loft with no insulation at all could save up to £180 a year, while topping up your loft insulation from 100mm to 270mm could save around £25 a year.


“Another form of insulation which provides high long-term energy savings is cavity wall insulation. If a home was built after 1920, the chances are that its external walls are made of two layers of brick with a gap or cavity between them. If that gap hasn’t been filled with cavity wall insulation yet then it’s well worth getting it done, helping you to keep the warmth in and save energy. The average installation cost for cavity wall insulation is between £450 and £500 but can save up to £140 a year.”

Changing your habits room by room
Changing your habits may seem trivial, but the more changes you make, the more you'll save on energy costs. Here are our top ten money-saving tips – obvious, yes, but they will save you money. Click on the links at the left to find ways to save money in every room in your home, and in the garden.

Top ten tips
- Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £65 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.

- Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.

- Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.

- Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

- Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

- 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!

- Use energy saving light bulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £50 over the lifetime of the bulb.This saving could be around £130 over its lifetime if you're replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.

- Do a home energy check. Just answer some simple questions about your home and we'll give you a free, impartial report telling you how you can save up to £325 a year on your household energy bills.

Saving Water in the Kitchen

Fill ’em up!
Make sure that dishwashers and washing machines are full before you use them, and always use the most efficient water and energy settings. When it's time to replace your appliance, look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo: products with this logo will save both energy and water.

Suds law
Using a sink of water to wash up twice a day rather than having the hot tap running could save around £35 a year on your gas bill and around £30 on your water bill (if you have a water meter). If you need to rinse utensils or wash vegetables, use cold water if possible and don't leave the tap running!

Go off the boil
Kettles use a lot of electricity, so try not to boil water you won't use use: most kettles can boil as little as a mug's worth. This could save you around £8 a year on energy bills. If everyone in the UK did this, we could save enough electricity in a year to power the UK's street lights for two month.

Turn it off
A running tap wastes more than six litres of water a minute, so turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face - and use cold water if you don't need hot.

Don't be a drip
A dripping tap can waste more than 5,500 litres of water a year, so make sure your taps are properly turned off and change washers promptly when taps start to drip.

Make it go further
Try to reuse unused water: for example, pour leftover glasses of water on houseplants and avoid wasting water from running taps while waiting for hot water.

Energy saving in the Kitchen

Cooking
Check what you have in the fridge and freezer before you go shopping. Wasted food is a big contributor towards carbon dioxide emissions.
Only boil the water you need in your kettle, and de-scale it from time to time.
Cut food into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time.
Use the right sized pan for the job and right sized hob ring for each pan.
Keep lids on pans as much as you can, to reduce heat loss - turn the heat down when it reaches the boil.
Keep the oven door shut as much as possible; make sure the glass door is clean so you can see what's going on.
Cooking big batches of food at once is more energy-efficient. Storing spare portions in the freezer gives you a supply of ready meals.
Freeze your leftovers if you don't eat them the next day.

Microwave
Defrost food in the fridge overnight rather than microwaving it.
Use a microwave to reheat food where possible as this is usually a much more efficient method of warming things up than using the hob or oven.
Cover food with a microwave-safe lid or pierced cling film to hold moisture and speed up cooking times in the microwave.

Fridge and freezer
Let warm foods cool down before putting them in the fridge.
Make sure air can circulate around the back of your fridge and freezer.
Make sure your fridge and freezer are set to the right temperature, not too cold and not too warm.
Don't keep the fridge or freezer door open for longer than necessary.
Try not to put the fridge or freezer next to a heat source such as a cooker or radiator, or in direct sunlight.

Dishwasher
Make sure you have a full load before you use the dishwasher - a half load setting usually uses more than half the energy of a full load.
Use the eco setting wherever possible.

Always remember to switch appliances off standby when you've finished using them.

Laundry Tips
Reduce the energy costs of your washing machine
- Buying a new washing machine? Look out for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo. All  Energy Saving Trust Recommended washing machines are A-rated for energy efficiency, spin efficiency and wash performance.

- Wash at 30. Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than at higher temperatures uses around 40% less energy. Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures so unless you have very dirty washing, bear this in mind.

- Wait for a full load.Wait until you have a full load before putting on a wash - two half-loads use more energy than a single full load.

- Turn off at the wall. Make sure your machine is turned off at the socket when not in use. If any lights are on, then the machine will still be using electricity.

- Air after wear. Try to minimise unnecessary washing by hanging up clothes to air after wearing them so you can get the maximum use out of each item before needing to wash it.

Reduce the energy costs of your tumble dryer
- Dry on the line. Save energy by drying clothes on a line wherever possible, even on dry winter days, rather than using the tumble dryer. Your clothes will feel fresher and you will save money too.
If you have to use a tumble dryer, don’t dry for longer than needed – it wastes energy. Switch your tumble dryer off at the plug socket when not in use.

- Make the most of your washing machine. Spinning your clothes on the washing machine’s highest spin cycle will remove as much water as possible, so they will dry more quickly on the line or in the tumble dryer.

- Buying a new tumble-dryer? Look out for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo – this guarantees that you are buying one of the most energy efficient appliances available on the market.

- Carefully does it. If you have a washer/dryer make sure you don’t accidentally use the tumble dryer function when you don’t need it.

- De-fluff your dryer. Make sure your tumble dryer’s filters are fluff free. It will help it to dry efficiently.

- Reduce the load. Sort out the washed clothes to make sure only the ones that need to be tumble dried get included on the drying cycle.

Reduce the energy costs of your washer dryer
- Wait for a full load. Wait until you have a full load before putting on a wash - two half-loads use more energy than a single full load.

- Perform regular maintenance. Improve the quality of the washing and drying by performing the regular maintenance suggested in the manual, such as cleaning out the dispenser drawer and lint filter.

- Harness the spin cycle. When you do use the drier function, choose a wash cycle with a higher final spin speed so that more water is removed from the clothes during spinning and they need less time in the drying cycle. The spin cycle of your washing machine consumes less energy compared to the tumble dry setting.


- Cut down drying time. Don’t dry for longer than needed – it wastes energy. Make sure that the machine is turned off at the socket when not in use.

Saving Water in the Bathroom
Water-efficient showerheads
New water-efficient showerheads use technology that can produce water flows that feel far higher than they actually are - an easy way to save both water and energy. They are most effective on power and mixer showers with a high flow rate. You should not low flow showerhead to an electric shower as this could cause possible dangerous damage to your shower unit.

Reduced-capacity baths
A standard bath has a capacity of around 80 litres, so even when it’s less than half full it uses a lot of water. If you’re buying a new bath, look for one with a lower capacity. Of course, you can always save water and money by taking a quick shower instead of a bath.

Insulation
Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the simplest and easiest ways to save energy and money in your home. Putting a 75mm thick hot water cylinder jacket on your hot water tank will save around £45 a year. By insulating any visible hot water pipes you can save around £15 more off your annual gas bill. Find out more about insulating your tank and pipes.

Low-flush and dual-flush toilets
About 30% of all water used in dwellings is flushed down the toilet every day. Low-flush and dual-flush toilets are designed to reduce the volume of water used for flushing. These systems use up to six litres less water per flush than an old-fashioned toilet – saving over 16,000 litres of water per year (enough to fill seven red telephone boxes).

Toilet retrofit and displacement devices
For a quick and easy way to waste less water with every flush without buying a new toilet, just install a dual-flush insert device. This can be easily retrofitted into your old cistern and will save up to 50% of water per flush. Or you could fit a hippo or a save-a-flush cistern displacement device which will save between one and three litres per flush. Both of these products are available free from many water companies.

Lower flow taps
Taps with a low flow rate can be fitted to bathroom and kitchen sinks. Click point taps are better for kitchen sink taps; aerated or regulated flow taps are more suitable for a bathroom sink; but all work very well.

Flow tap aerators and regulators
If you’re not replacing taps or shower units, you can still save water by fitting flow regulators to showers and aerators to taps. Flow devices are easy to install. They often contain precision-made holes, filters or flow aerators to regulate the flow of water without changing how it feels to you.

If you have an electric shower you should not fit a flow regulator as this could cause possible dangerous damage to your shower unit.

Water efficiency labelling
To help you identify a product that is water-efficient, the Bathroom Manufacturers Association has recently launched the Water Efficiency Products Labelling Scheme. For more details of the label and help to find and compare products, visit the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme site. To identify award-winning water-efficient products, look for the Waterwise Marque. Find out more at the Waterwise website.

Water-saving habits
Snub the tub
If everybody in your family of four replaces one bath a week with a five-minute shower, you can save up to £15 a year on gas bills and up to £25 on water bills (if you have a water meter).

Change your head
If a family of four replace their inefficient shower head with a water-efficient one they could save around £60 off their gas bills and around £60 off their water bills (if they have a water meter) each year. That’s a total saving of £120.

Turn it off
A running tap wastes more than six litres of water a minute, so turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face - and use cold water if you don't need hot.

Don't be a drip
A dripping tap can waste more than 5,500 litres of water a year, so make sure your taps are properly turned off and change washers promptly when taps start to drip.

Make it go further
Try to reuse unused water: for example, pour leftover glasses of water on houseplants and avoid wasting water from running taps while waiting for hot water.

Energy Saving in the Hall
Don't forget about your hall! Plug those gaps to save even more money on your energy bills.

Replacing a 60W incandescent with a 15W CFL can save up to £9 per year.
Draw any curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and draughts out.
Doors

Draught-proofing outside doors can save a lot of heat and will only cost you a few pounds. There are four main things to think about:
- the keyhole – buy a purpose-made cover that drops a metal disc over the keyhole
- the letterbox – use a letterbox flap or letterbox brush
- the gap at the bottom – use a brush or hinged flap draught excluder
- gaps around the edges – fit foam, brush or wiper strips like those used for windows.


- Putting a curtain over the front door can also help keep the draughts out. And of course, not leaving the front door open more than necessary.

Energy Saving in the Living Room
Your living room, sitting room or other living space is a great place to start reducing your energy bills. Here are our top ten tips to keep your living spaces cosy.

- Only turn on the lights when you need them. Consider swapping your ageing light bulbs for energy saving light bulbs; on average, this could save you around £3 a year for each bulb you use. It can really add up!

- Don't leave things on standby. This could save between £50 - £90 per year on electricity bills (note: this applies to the whole house and not just the living room). Get into the habit of turning off the television at the socket or on the set, and not leaving it on standby. (Standby is the mode in which an appliance is neither switched off, nor is in full-on mode. In your living room, this could be used to describe your DVD player which might sit idle displaying the time when you are not using it to play DVDs.)

- Unplug or switch off. Make sure items that are not in use are unplugged or switched off at the wall (when was the last time you used your video recorder?!). If you are going on holiday, switch off your television and set-top box at the plug.

- Consider investing in an intelligent mains controller so that all the equipment linked to your TV (video recorder, DVD player, games controllers etc) are automatically switched off whenever the TV is turned off. If you don't want to purchase a controller, clear a space around your plug sockets to make it easier to turn items off at the mains, or invest in an individually switched extension lead.

- Use separate plugs. Put your digital recorder on a separate plug socket so you can turn off everything else at the mains but keep your series link recordings.

- Buying a new TV? Look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo. This is your guarantee that the appliance you buy is among the most energy efficient on the market.

- Replacing your old TVs or other electrical equipment? Dispose of it in a way that means it can be recycled. When buying new electrical appliances, retailers are obliged to either take back the old equipment or tell you where you can recycle it. Find out where to recycle electrical equipment locally by ringing the council, or find your local recycling centre on the Recycle Now website.

- Using your television to access digital radio? It's more energy efficient to opt for a blank screen. Better still, get a digital radio instead. Find an Energy Saving Trust Recommended digital radio.

- Check your settings. Make sure the brightness setting on your TV is suitable for your room. The brighter the TV is set, the more energy it uses. The factory settings on TVs are often too bright for home use.


- When it gets dark, draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in. Close internal doors to keep the heat in the rooms you are in and turn radiators off in unused rooms. Consider putting on an extra layer of clothing before turning up the heating.

Energy Saving in the Dining Room
There are lots of easy ways to waste less energy in the room that you eat in...

- Warm the plates in the oven as it cools down after your food has cooked.
- Serve food straight to plates and you wont have to wash up serving plates and spoons.
- Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out.
- Energy saving lightbulbs last longer and save you money over the longer term. Technology has moved on a lot since energy saving lightbulbs were first invented, and so has the way they look. Whatever types of bulbs you use to light your home, there are sure to be stylish energy saving equivalents. They range from stick shaped bulbs and candle shaped varieties, with small or medium screw and bayonet fittings and there are even halogen and dimmable energy saving bulbs on the market.
- Make sure the lights are turned off when you leave the room

When you have guests...
- Don’t forget that the room will heat up if you are having guests round so don’t go mad with the heating.

- Don’t overdo the catering; wasted food makes a significant contribution towards carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy Saving in the Bedroom
All year round
- Towel dry your hair thoroughly to cut down the time you’ll have to use your hairdryer for.

- Make sure all the lights are turned off when you go to bed, or use a low wattage energy saving night light if you do need to leave one on.

- Don’t leave your mobile phone on charge all night – it only needs a couple of hours.

- Keep extra blankets by the bed so you can easily adjust your temperature during the night.

In cold weather
- Set the heating to switch off a short while before you go to bed – that way it’ll still be nice and warm as you get ready for bed but the heating won’t stay on unnecessarily once you’re tucked up.

- Set the heating to switch on just long enough before you wake up for the house to be warm by the time you get out of bed. But you don’t need it to stay switched on all the way up to when you leave the house – the house will take a while to cool down again, so try setting the heating to turn off half an hour before you’re due to go out of the door.

- Use the right tog duvet for the weather (low tog in summer and high tog in winter) to avoid having to use the heating (or air conditioning) unnecessarily.

- Draw curtains at dusk to keep the heat in for when you go to bed.

- Wear socks to bed in cold weather to keep toasty.

- Use a hot water bottle to warm the bed up, rather than an electric blanket.

- Invest in draught excluders for the bedroom door to keep the heat in your room during the night.

Children’s bedrooms
- Encourage your children to turn off equipment at the socket by making it easy to get to the switch. A TV, DVD player and PS3 will cost around £30 to run over the course of a year – but it could be far higher if they are left on when not in use.

- Draw curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out

- Get into the habit of keeping doors closed.

- Think about what you are putting on extension sockets to make sure you aren’t powering something that is not in use

- Think about “losing” the remote control to the television to reduce the temptation to leave it on standby.


- If you are thinking about buying a new computer, a new laptop typically uses around 85% less energy than a new desktop computer and takes up less room too.

Saving Water in the Garden
Water butts
Your roof collects tens of thousands of litres of water each year, but it runs straight into the drains. If you have a garden and access to a drain you can save a significant amount of mains water by installing a water butt. Each year your roof collects around 85,000 litres of water - enough to fill 450 water butts a year. Contact your water company to see if you are eligible for a free water butt or can get a discount. Use what you collect to water your garden and wash your car. There's a bonus: rainwater is softer than tap water, so it's better for plants - use it for your houseplants too!

Hose trigger control
A running garden hose can use as much as a thousand litres of water in an hour. If there are tasks you just can’t use a watering can for, use a hose trigger control. That way you can direct water specifically to the areas in the garden that need it and cut your outdoor water usage.

Bucket the trend
Avoid jet washes and energy-wasting car washes. Wash your car using a good old bucket and sponge, preferably using water from your water butt.



1. Replacing an old boiler with a new condensing boiler could save up to £310 a year
2. Insulating a loft to the recommended depth of 270mm (10.6ins) could save up to £180 a year
3. Fitting double glazing could save up to £180 a year
4. Insulating walls with cavity wall insulation could save up to £140 a year. Insulating the inside or outside of solid walls of older properties could save up to £490
5. Avoiding leaving devices on standby could save between £50-£90 a year

Other tips include:
- Installing a water-efficient shower head, saving up to £75 a year;
- Insulating floors, saving up to £60 a year;
- Insulating a water tank, saving up to £45 a year;
- Draft-proofing windows and doors, saving £30;
- Replacing light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs, saving £30;
- Upgrading appliances to energy-efficient models, saving up to £23 a year.

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