9 easy steps to reduce your energy usage and save money

We all want to save energy and money. But we also want a warm home and fully charged devices. So how do you take control of your energy use and make it as efficient as possible?

We’ve put together a list of nine ways that will help show you how to save energy at home. Some using the latest technology and some by making small adjustments to your lifestyle.

1. Get free smart meters to help you use less energy

Smart meters come with an in-home display (IHD) or smart energy monitor which shows you how much energy you’re using – and how much it’s costing you. So you can test and monitor which energy-saving measures work best for you.

If you don’t have a smart meter for your gas and electricity yet, book an appointment  and we’ll install one for free.

2. Save money with PeakSave

PeakSave rewards customers for making small changes to when they use electricity. So far over 650,000 customers with smart meters have been paid £13 million¹ for shifting their electricity use to times when there’s less demand, or there’s more renewable energy available on the grid.

3. Unplug your chargers

It’s estimated that leaving electrical items plugged in or on standby costs the average British household around £45 a year in wasted electricity.² So make sure you turn off your tech.

Always forgetting to turn things off? With Hive plugs you can control your appliances using your smartphone. Think you might have left the iron on? Tap the app and make sure. Kids always leaving the TV on standby? Whether you’ve just popped to the shops or you’re halfway round the world on holiday you can turn it off from your phone.

4. Switch on to energy-saving light bulbs

Energy saving lightbulbs don’t just use less electricity than cheaper halogen bulbs, they last much longer too and could save you money in the long run. For more control, switch to Hive Light bulbs. When paired with the Hive app on your smartphone you’ll have options from setting a lighting schedule when you’re out of the house to dimming the lights from the comfort of the sofa.

5. Only boil what you need

Don’t waste energy boiling more water than you need. And if you live in a hard water area, de-scale the kettle regularly, it’ll work more efficiently and your tea will taste better too.

6. Always do a full load of washing

Running your washing machine half empty uses the same amount of water and the same amount of electricity. So make sure you always do a full load. And if things aren’t very dirty, try cutting the temperature down from 40 to 30 degrees.

7. Make use of microwaves and air fryers

Around 3% of the home’s energy use comes from cooking, so choosing the right appliance for the occasion can help you save. Because they’re smaller, air fryers can cost less than a conventional oven to cook the same meal and as microwaves heat the food, and not the air around it, they use 90% less energy than conventional ovens.³

8. Freeze energy costs with the right fridge freezer

Up to 13% of your electricity bill is generated by your fridge freezer⁴ so it pays to choose the smallest one, with the highest energy rating efficiency to suit your needs and budget. To make your fridge freezer as energy efficient as possible, defrost it regularly, and don’t store things on top of it. It needs air circulating around it, so leave some space between your fridge and the wall and don’t forget to dust the condenser coils on the back.

9. Fill the dishwasher

Making sure the dishwasher is full before putting it on can also help save energy. Waiting until it’s full can also help you reduce your use by one run each week, which can save you around £11 a year.⁵

More ways to save energy at home

For more ways to save money on your energy bills, take a look at our energy saving tips guide.

And you’ll find more helpful blogs here.