21 ways to save energy when you're renting

We've put together a checklist of 21 ways you could cut your energy bills if you're renting your home.

You don't have to be a homeowner to make your property more energy-efficient - just a few simple quick fixes could save you significant amounts of money on your heating, gas and electricity bills.

There are a lot of measures you can take that can have a significant impact on your heating bills. Some are free, others come in at under £25.

1. Turn your thermostat down by 1°C - this can save you as much as £70 per year.
2. Wear more jumpers, socks and slippers around the house and put an extra blanket on the bed.
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. 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.
6. Save water and energy by just scraping the dishes before they go into the dishwasher.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Air-dry your laundry rather than tumble-drying it, particularly if it's hot and windy weather.
10. Take your clothes out of the dryer before they're completely dry - they'll iron much quicker.
11. Unplug all the appliances that you aren't using regularly.
12. Play energy-saving games with your kids (or flatmates!).
13. 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.

14. The Enviroplug - the Enviroplug is designed to stop you from wasting energy when charging your mobile phone. All you do is plug your phone charger into the Enviroplug and it detects when your battery is full, or your mobile isn't connected, and shuts off the power. If you leave your charger plugged in all the time, the Enviroplug can save you as much electricity as it takes to watch TV for 19 days or boil a kettle more than 100 times.
15. The Radiator Booster - the Radiator Booster cuts your heating bills by encouraging the warm air to circulate around your room. It's a small fan that sits on top of your radiator, so the room heats up in half the time. This means your boiler needn't work as hard, saving you money.It's estimated that a Radiator Booster could save you £70 to £140 a year on your heating bill, depending on your household's heating requirements.
16. Energy-saving light bulbs - If you haven't already installed energy-saving lightbulbs, now is the time. Installing five energy-saving light bulbs could save you £32 a year.
17. Freeloader Pico - Power your mobile phone and gadgets for free. The Freeloader Pico is a compact portable solar charger. It comes with a choice of four different connector tips, which means it can charge almost any type of phone.
18. Block draughts - attach a draught excluder to the bottom of your doors.  Using draught excluders, particularly in old, large houses can have a huge impact on your heating bills and improve your level of comfort enormously.
19. Chimney balloons - Using a chimney balloon, or chimney pillow, is an efficient way to stop the heat escaping up the chimney and keeps the cold air out. They are very easy to install and inexpensive by comparison with what you'll save.  Studies have shown that 40% of the heat in a room could disappear up the chimney. Using a balloon can therefore have a significant effect on your heating bill.
20. Insulate your pipes and tanks - both tank and pipe insulation keep your water hotter for longer by reducing the amount of heat that escapes. Adequately insulating your pipes can also stop pipes freezing in winter.

21. Insulate your loft - you might think this isn't worthwhile if you're renting, but it could be. Loft-insulation costs about £150 if you DIY, but it could save you an average of £128 a year. So as long as you're planning to stay put for at least a year and a quarter, you'll make a saving. So if your landlord's happy for you to do so, go ahead.

Speak to your landlord about making bigger energy-saving changes. They might be more open-minded about making energy-efficient improvements to the property than you'd think. You could suggest splitting the cost of some improvements, or your landlord could apply for an energy-saving grant or scheme.