Tips for Saving Energy
Saving energy does not have to be difficult or costly. Simple
changes can make a big difference, and most of them you can do for
free. Below are some of the best tips to save energy and money.
- Turn off any lights you don’t need, but make sure you have enough
lighting on stairs and hallways.
- Use Compact Fluorescent bulbs. They burn 75% less electricity
than regular incandescent light bulbs (yellow light)
- Consider how much light you need and see if you can take out one
or two bulbs from a multiple light fitting.
- Spotlights can be more expensive to run than other lighting, so
avoid leaving them on for a long time.
- Fluorescent tubes give out more light and are good for kitchens.
Lighting
- Don’t put your fridge or freezer next to a cooker or in the sun.
- Make sure air can circulate around the back of your fridge or freezer
and keep the back dust free.
- Load and unload the fridge as quickly as possible. Don’t leave the
fridge door open for longer than you need to.
- Never put hot food in a fridge or freezer. Let it cool first.
- Defrost your fridge or freezer regularly. Ice should never be more
than a quarter of an inch (6mm) thick around the ice box
- Check for gaps in door seals that could let warm air in. Place a
piece of paper in the door, if you can easily remove the paper with
the door closed, then the door is letting warm air into the fridge.
Upright freezers are less efficient than chest freezers as cool air
drops out of an upright freezer when you open the door.
- Use a thermometer to make sure you have set the thermostat in
your fridge or freezer to the correct temperature. If it’s too low your
appliance will use more energy, and will not keep your food as
effectively.
Fridges and Freezers
Washing machine or tumble dryer.
- Use economy settings on your washing machine for small
loads or laundry which is not very dirty.
- If the weather is fine, dry your laundry outside.
- Make sure the filters in your tumble dryer are fluff free.
- You won’t have to iron everything if you don’t turn up the
tumble dryer thermostat too high or dry your clothes for too
long.
- Hang up or fold clothes straight after drying to cut down on
ironing time.
- Plan your ironing so you don’t have to keep changing the
temperature setting on your iron. Iron the clothes that need a
cooler setting first, and finish with clothes that need the
hottest setting.
Laundry
- When you’re not using them, switch appliances off. This
may seem obvious, but it’s easy to leave a TV on when we
leave the room and forget about it!
- Try not to leave phones or other items charging overnight. A
few hours are usually all that’s needed.
- Towel dry your hair so you don’t have to use your hairdryer
as much.
- Appliances like your TV, DVD player and games console
use energy even when you’re not using them. Some
appliances can use up to 90% in standby mode which, in
some homes, is the equivalent to leaving a 100W light bulb
on all year!
Appliances