Five surprising ways to cut energy costs

Households across the UK are going to see some changes to our energy bills from this week and not just because the temperature is dropping, and we’ll be tempted to turn the heating on.

The Ofgem energy price cap is changed this week, meaning bills for most households are set to go up by around 10%.

So, it is unsurprising that we are looking for more ways to save on energy more than ever. Here are five ways to reduce your energy bill that you may never heard of.

1. Clean to save cash

As one of the few appliances you keep on all the time, a fridge-freezer costs about £40 a year to run, says online calculator Carbon Footprint. But when was the last time you cleaned the condenser coils on the back of your fridge-freezer?

Never, perhaps?

Part of the system that cools room-temperature air right down to preserve your food, the coils can get dirty, especially since we rarely have cause to move the fridge-freezer, so it’s easy to miss how much dust is accumulating.

As the coils get muckier, they become less efficient and so more energy is needed to cool the air down.

Once a year, unplug your fridge-freezer temporarily while you give the coils a good clean with a duster or the suction nozzle of your vacuum cleaner.

You can also cut energy costs by cleaning your cooker, dryer and lightbulbs, Make sure you clean the cooker heating rings regularly - any food that sticks to the ring will absorb heat, making it less efficient.

If your dryer has vents, check that the outside vent works properly and doesn’t have any dust or debris that might be blocking it.

Regularly dust lights. If dust dims the brightness of the bulb, this could lead to you using lamps or other forms of lighting to brighten the room further, therefore using more energy.

2. Insulate your windows with bubble wrap

For those with single-glazed windows, it can be difficult to keep the air warm inside the room.

Government figures show that 18% of heat loss occurs through windows – and heat is lost through single glazing around twice as fast.

Using bubble wrap to insulate your windows is a straightforward and effective method to reduce heat loss during the colder months.

All you need is bubble wrap (preferably with medium to large bubbles), scissors, and a spray bottle filled with water.

Measure your windowpanes and cut the bubble wrap to fit each one, ensuring the pieces are slightly larger to allow for adjustments.

Clean your windows thoroughly to remove any dust or grime, which helps the bubble wrap adhere better. Lightly spray a film of water onto the window or the bubble side of the wrap, then press the bubble wrap against the glass with the bubbles facing the window. The water will help it stick.

Smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles by pressing gently with your hands. If needed, you can secure the edges with double-sided tape to ensure the bubble wrap stays in place.

3. Use foil to trap in the heat

To improve radiator efficiency, you can use reflectors or aluminium foil to reflect heat back into the room. This method prevents heat from escaping through the walls, ensuring it stays inside and warms the room more effectively.

Reflectors are specially designed panels placed behind radiators, while aluminium foil is a budget-friendly alternative. By reflecting heat back into the room, you enhance energy efficiency, reduce heating costs, and maintain a more comfortable indoor temperature.

4. Use a dry towel to save on tumble dryer costs

Tumble dryers are convenient but costly to run.

To reduce the length of a cycle, place a dry towel in with dryer loads. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, this simple trick can cut drying time by half an hour.

The dry towel will absorb excess moisture from the wet clothes, helping them dry faster and reducing the energy consumption of the dryer. This works because the towel acts as an additional absorber of water, decreasing the overall humidity inside the dryer.

As a result, the clothes spend less time tumbling in the dryer, which not only cuts down on energy usage but also prolongs the lifespan of your garments by exposing them to less heat and mechanical action.

For even better results, use a clean, dry towel with each load.

5. Turn down the temp on more than just the thermostat

Turning your thermostat down by just a single degree can save you as much as £145 per year according to the Energy Savings Trust, and you probably won’t feel the difference.

But you can also cut energy costs by turning your boiler's flow temperature down.

A boiler’s flow temperature is typically set between 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. However, turning your boiler's flow temperature down to 60 degrees can improve its efficiency by 4-5%, helping you save on energy costs. Lowering the flow temperature reduces the amount of energy needed to heat the water that circulates through your heating system.