Save energy. Save money. Lower your carbon emissions

The average household generated 2,745kg of carbon dioxide from heating in 2017.
That’s enough to fill 18,000 baths!

There are lots of ways to cut down on the energy we use - and save on the cost of our bills as well.

The Citizens Advice Cornwall and Kernow King video below has vital tips and advice on saving on energy bills and keeping warm.

Practical Tips

Please view our Save energy, save money and lower your carbon emissions document for our full practical tips, which we have given you a quick taste of below.

1. Switch off Standby

You can save around £35 a year by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

2. Be careful in the kitchen

Use a bowl to wash up rather than a running tap and save £25 a year in energy bills.
Cut back your washing machine use by one cycle per week and save £8 a year on energy.
Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need and save around £6 a year.

3. Showers

If you can spend one minute less in the shower, each day, you can reduce your bills and conserve water supplies. There is also additional information from this link regarding water efficiency: The hidden impact of your daily water use - BBC Future published by the BBC on 27 March 2020 under their Smart Guide to Climate Change.

4. Banish Draughts

When it’s cold outside all those niggling draughts can let warm air escape costing you money and wasting energy. Take a look around the house for draughts – around windows, doors, letterboxes and cracks in the floor and skirting boards. Fitting inexpensive draught excluders or fitting thermal curtains can make a huge difference, and save on energy bills. You can find more advice on The Energy Saving Trust's website.

5. Insulate

There are many simple and effective ways to insulate your home. These will reduce heat loss and lower your heating bills.

Even little fixes around the home can mount up to significant savings in your energy bills. For example, fitting a hot water cylinder insulating jacket will save you £20 a year and 150kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

6. Buy energy efficient appliances

It’s not something you might be able to do today, but the next time you come to replace a refrigerator or washing machine, make sure it has an energy efficiency rating of “A++

Consider the size of the appliance you need - a smaller appliances may do if your household size is smaller than it used to be.

7. Switch to LED lightbulbs

Only buy LED or energy saving lightbulbs next time a bulb goes. If you switch all your lightbulbs you could save 90% of lighting energy costs!

If you already have an all LED house, make sure you’re remembering to turn them off when you leave the room!

8. Turn the heating down by 1 degree

Turning your heating down by 1 degree could save you around £60 each year and will reduce you Co2 emissions. Pile on extra layers before you turn up the heating. Schedule your gas, oil or LPG heating to go on and off when you need it. Turn the output dial on electric storage heaters down to zero an hour before bed. Keep an eye on how much energy your heating is using is to get a smart meter installed.

9. Keep switching energy providers

Check annually to see if there is a better, cheaper tariff on offer for your gas and electricity. Remember to choose tariffs that provide renewable energy so you know it’s good for the planet too. Community Energy Plus run regular switching campaigns.

If you buy heating oil you could join a community buying scheme which can lower the cost.

10. Take control and get 'Smart'

The first step to taking control of your energy bills is to understand what you are paying and how much you are using. The Energy Saving Trust have put together this useful video on how to understand your energy bill and check it is correct.

A home energy audit, or assessment, can help you find out how much energy your home uses and where your home is losing energy, to decide which fixes to prioritise. Find out more on the Energy.gov website.

Getting a smart meter installed can give you more control by giving you more information about where your energy - and your money is going. You can use this information to help you reduce your energy consumption. That means lower bills for you and a lower carbon footprint too.

Going further - Renewables

Installing renewable energy in your home is good for the environment and will save you on your energy bills in the long run. Click here to find out more

More information

Money Saving Expert has energy saving tips at home this winter and a checklist to save £100s

Citizens Advice offer advice on simple ways to save money on your gas and electricity.

Community Energy Plus, a social enterprise provides complete energy answers to help householders in Cornwall enjoy warmer, energy efficient homes as part of a more sustainable future. Click here to visit their website and here for information for householders.

Simple Energy Advice offer impartial and independent advice to help you reduce your energy bills, make your home warmer, plan home improvements, and make your home greener.

The MSC is a standards organisation, that creates and maintains standards that allows for the certification of products, installers and their installations. MCS certifies low-carbon products and installations used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources. Being an MCS contractor demonstrates adherence to recognised industry standards; highlighting quality, competency and compliance.

Which? the UK's Consumer Champion has identified nine surprising ways to reduce energy use around the home, which you may not have come across.