19 free energy-saving tips

Saving energy isn't just about being environmentally conscious, it's a remarkably easy way to save money on your heating, gas and electricity bills. Looking for ways to save energy around the home can even be a fun activity for the whole family to take part in. With just a few simple changes to your lifestyle and your home, you could be saving hundreds of pounds.

So if you're looking for ways to cut down on your spending, try these 19 free energy-saving tips.

1. Stay warm, cut costs. Turning your thermostat down by 1°C can save you as much as £70 per year. Also, surprisingly, keeping your heating on constantly on a low heat could potentially save you more money than switching it on and off for big blasts of heat. More on energy-efficient heating.
2. Get cosy. Wearing more jumpers, socks and slippers around the house, and putting an extra blanket on the bed means you won't be tempted to turn the heating up.
3. Turn the pressure down on the power shower, you'd be surprised how much water they use - sometimes even more than a bath.

4. Save time and stock up. If you're going to use the oven, bake a few meals at a time to get the most out of having your oven on.
5. Heat your home with cooking. Leave the oven door open after cooking to let the heat warm your kitchen. The oven might give off enough heat for you to adjust your thermostat.
6. Let the dishwasher do the dirty work. Avoid pre-rinsing the dishes in hot water. Save water and energy by just scraping the dishes before they go in.
7. Make things easy for your fridge and freezer. Keeping them full means they don't have to work as hard and use less energy.
8. Use the right ring for the right thing. If your cooker has a small ring, use a small pan. You might only be heating up a small meal, and doing so in a big pan wastes a lot of energy. More tips for energy-efficient cooking.

9. Shrink your bills, not your clothes. 90% of a washing machine's energy expenditure is spent on heating the water, so if you wash your clothes at 30-40 °C you're saving significant amounts of money. It isn't all that necessary to use a hotter setting and it's better for your clothes.
10. Hang up your laundry. Air-dry your laundry rather than tumbledrying it, particularly if there's warm or windy weather.
11. Save yourself ironing time. Take your clothes out of the dryer before they're completely dry - they'll iron much quicker. More tips for energy-efficient laundry.

12. Switch it off and save. Unplug all the appliances that you aren't using regularly. Even chargers continue to use electricity when they aren't charging. Also, make sure you're not leaving appliances on standby.
13. Get the kids involved. Play saving energy-saving games with your kids. Get them to spot the areas in the home where energy is being wasted, where lights, switches or appliances have been left on.
14. Let the sunshine in. On a sunny day, opening your curtains will let warmth into your house. Otherwise, on a cold day keep them closed - especially on draughty windows.

15. Get free cavity wall insulation. A third of all heat lost from the home is through the walls. There are now government-backed full and partial grants available to help you pay for insulation if your home has cavity walls. Getting this done could save you around 15% on your fuel bills, so you could be saving on average £98 a year.
16. Get free loft insulation. Because heat rises, as much as 25% of the heat in your house could be disappearing into your loft space. If you apply for a loft insulation grant, you could save about 19% on your fuel bills. This works out at an average of £128 per year.
17. Get free solar panels. Find out whether you qualify for a full or partial grant for solar panels. Having solar panels installed on your house means you could save as much as a third on your electricity bills. 
18. Apply for an energy-saving grant. There are plenty of energy-saving grants available to help with the cost of home improvements, which could mean you get something for nothing.

19. Compare gas and electricity prices with uSwitch to make sure you're on the cheapest tariff for you. It only takes a few minutes, we do all the paperwork for you and you could save up to £458.

See more energy-saving tips.