Homeowners across the country are looking for tips to save money on energy bills. Most UK homes are heavily dependent on electricity and gas to keep them warm and to run essential household appliances. But this year, we can expect costs to rise by 54%, which equates to £700 for the average household. This means the average family using a typical amount of gas and electricity will now pay £1,971 a year for their usage.

We know there isn’t much you can do about wholesale energy prices. That said, there are steps you can take to save money on your bills. We share our tips to save money on energy bills and help make your home more energy efficient during these uncertain times.

1. Add insulation to save up to £290

Do you have a loft and cavity walls? Did you know that insulating both can save you up to £290 a year?
If you lay loft insulation to a thickness of 270mm in a typical non-insulated three-bedroom semi-detached home, you could take £135 from your energy bills. Insulating cavity walls in a semi-detached house can save up to £155 a year. Yes, insulation in solid walls is more expensive to fit. But if you have it done, it can go on to save you £210 in energy bills in a similar-sized house.

2. Install a smart thermostat

Smart thermostats can make your heating more efficient by only warming the rooms you are using. They work by learning how long it takes to heat your home, so they can have it at the right temperature at exactly the right time.
If you installed room thermostats, programmers, and thermostatic radiator valves, you could save around £75 a year.

3. Draught-proof your property

Unless your home is very new or you’ve renovated it, you can lose some heat through older doors and windows. Gaps around the floor, even the chimney can be draughty. Draught excluders or draught-proofing kits are a good way to prevent any unwanted draughts.
Some other ideas include sealing any cracks in floors or skirting boards, lining your letterbox, or blocking an unused chimney. These initiatives can reduce your heating bills by up to £35 a year.

4. Switch off standby appliances

Do you need to keep all your electrical appliances switched on? You can turn almost all electrical appliances off at the plug without upsetting their programming. And you can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.
Investing in a standby saver or smart plug can make it even easier to ensure all unused appliances are off. This handy device allows you turn all your appliances off standby in one go.
If you are unsure about any appliances, check their instructions. You might need to keep some satellite and digital TV recorders plugged in and turned on to enable them to keep track of any programs you want to record.

5. Turn down the hot water temperature on your combi boiler

If you have a combination (combi) boiler, you can easily adjust the temperature of the water that comes out of your hot water taps.
Major energy provider, Octopus Energy, says a temperature of about 55 degrees should be enough for most homes. A good way to tell if this is something you should do, is to gauge by how much you are diluting hot water to cold to reach the desired temperature. If your water is too hot, you’re wasting money.
There should be an option to change the temperature on the front of your combi boiler – usually indicated by a little tap icon. If you’re unsure, check your boiler manual.

6. Reduce the temperature on your non-combi boiler

Even if you have a boiler and a hot water cylinder, you can still make adjustments to improve your system’s efficiency. You might find it a little more complicated as the temperatures generally need to be set a little higher than a combi boiler, but its do-able.
Most condensing non-combi boilers are set up to supply one temperature for heating and hot water. The minimum temperature for stored water is required to be 60 degrees, to avoid legionella bacteria developing in the water (based on advice from the Health and Safety Executive). The Heating Hub advises the boiler temperature should be set to 70 degrees to offset any heat loss.
We advise you have a Gas Safe engineer reconfigure your boiler if you are not sure how to do so.

7. Bleed your radiators

Did you know? If you don’t do so, you should bleed your radiators regularly. And you’ll know your radiators need bleeding if they are taking more time to heat up than usual. You’ll also feel cold patches at the top of them or hear gurgling noises. Once you release the trapped air, your radiators will work more efficiently.

Energy efficient homes and the EPC
By implementing just a few of these small changes, you could save hundreds on your energy bill each year.
And they are just as important if you are looking to sell your home. That’s because some of the bigger changed can make a difference to your property’s overall energy performance.
In today’s market, all homes must be sold with an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate), and today’s buyers are looking for homes with good energy efficiency ratings. Buyers are willing to pay more for energy efficient homes. So it’s worth making changes to not only save money on energy bills, but to sell your home quicker and at a better price.

Our professional estate agents are on-hand to help with any property-related matters. Whether you are a landlord, looking to buy a home in the region, or hoping to sell your property, we can help. Contact our team today.