Energy efficiency

Energy used in homes makes up more than a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK. These emissions contribute to climate change.

By making your home as energy efficient as possible, you can reduce carbon emissions and save money on your fuel bills.

For more information about how to make your home more energy efficient, visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Heating and lighting

Save energy, and money, by looking at your heating and lighting arrangements.

turn your thermostat down by one degree and you could save up to 10 per cent on your heating bill
wear extra layers of clothing or only turn on the radiators in one room to conserve energy
around half the heat lost in your home escapes through the walls and roof. Installing loft and cavity wall insulation can prevent heat loss and reduce your energy bills. Grants are available to help with installation costs. Call the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 to find out if you're eligible.
energy saving lightbulbs can last up to ten times longer than ordinary bulbs. One 20 watt bulb can save you £60 over its lifetime, compared to a standard 100 watt version. You can pick up lightbulbs at any hardware retailer.

Appliances

Household appliances use up large amounts of energy, especially fridges and freezers which are switched on 24 hours a day. However, energy efficient combination fridge freezers use only a third of the energy needed by a ten-year-old model.

Here are some other tips you can use:

avoid using your tumble dryer where possible. Dry clothes outside or on a clothes rack instead
wait until you have a full load before doing your laundry or turning on the dishwasher
wash clothes at a lower temperature, for example, 30°C
add a cleaning filter to your washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher to help them run more efficiently
defrost your fridge and freezer regularly.

When buying new appliances, consider these points:

gas is generally a greener choice than electricity for cooking
avoid unnecessary features which waste energy, such as kettles with extra lights or 'keep warm' functions
look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo (only used on the most energy efficient products) and the European Energy Label which rates efficiency, with A being the best and G the worst
look for the smallest product for what you need as it will cost less to run. For example, laptops use less energy than desktop computers
check water consumption levels which show the litres used per wash (should be less than 50 litres per wash for washing machines and less than 15 litres per wash for dishwashers).

Switch off plugs

Energy is often wasted by devices left on standby or not switched off at the plug.

never leave electrical appliances on standby. Always switch TVs, stereos, mobile phone chargers and other gadgets off at the plug when you're not using them
turn your computer monitor and printer off when you are away from your desk or activate its energy-saving features.

Cooking

You can also save energy when preparing food. For example:

put lids on pans to reduce the time water takes to boil
only boil as much water as you need
use a microwave rather than an oven to heat up small amounts of food.

Batteries

Around 600 million batteries are thrown away in the UK every year. Many of them contain valuable metals, as well as hazardous substances like cadmium.

plug gadgets into the mains where possible
use rechargeable batteries instead
unplug chargers when you have finished using them
recycle unwanted batteries at our recycling centres or put these in your kerbside recycling box for collection.
consider buying wind-up or solar gadgets like radios and torches which don't need any batteries.