Energy saving tips

Being energy efficient can cut as much as £340 off your annual energy bill and reduce your household's carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.5 tonnes.

Here are 10 ways to get started:

Brush up on energy saving

Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too.

You can install draught proofing yourself

Draught dodgers

Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, which also allow heat to escape in winter. Stop this waste by filling these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.

Find out more about draft proofing

Stop draughts by filling gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant

Use energy saving light bulbs

Switch to energy saving light bulbs. They last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs, and each bulb you fit could save around £45 over its lifetime - or up to £70 if you are replacing a bright incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day. They come in a whole range of styles.

Find out more about energy saving lighting

Energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times longer

Jazz up your tank with a jacket

Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, it pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick on an uninsulated tank and you could save around £40 a year. If every UK household that could fitted an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save £170 million of energy every year!

Find out more about hot water tank insulation

Fitting a hot water jacket that's at least 75mm (3") thick on an uninsulated tank and you could save around £40 a year

Lofty ambitions

Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy - you can even install it yourself. Insulate your loft today and in a year you could save around £205 or £60 if you're topping up.

Find out more about loft insulation

Insulating an empty loft can save you around £205 a year

Insulate wall cavities

Uninsulated walls are a big source of heat loss in the home. You could save around £160 on energy bills each year by insulating your wall cavities. It also creates an even temperature in your home. If we all filled our wall cavities, we'd save around £860 million-worth of energy a year.

Find out more about cavity wall insulation

Typical brick formation for cavity walls

Switch to high-efficiency boilers

If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well.

Find out more about boilers

Save up to a third on your heating bills with a high efficiency condensing boiler

Look for the logo

When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Energy Saving Recommended appliances are the most efficient in their category and could save you up to £39 a year.

Find out more about Energy Saving Recommended products

Always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo

Keep twice as warm with double glazing

Double glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by around £140 a year.

Find out more about glazing

Cut your heating bills by around £140 a year

Take our online home energy check

Still not sure which are your home's weak spots? Why not complete our online home energy check? Or call your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012 for free, impartial advice on saving energy in your home.

Take our online home energy check

Take our online home energy check