Top tips for reducing your energy use this festive season

The festive season is often a time of excess. Around this time, you might be enjoying lots of food, social gatherings and gifts. But high energy bills are one thing you do not want an excess of.

Here are 10 quick tips to help reduce your energy use in the coming months.

1. Lower your boiler flow temperature

According to research by Nesta, turning down the flow temperature on your boiler improves its efficiency by around 4%.

This means the boiler does not need to heat the water as much, which could lower your heating bills. It works best if you have a combi boiler. If you have a conventional boiler with a hot water cylinder, you need to make sure the temperature is no lower than 65 degrees. This stops harmful bacteria forming in the water.

2. Turn down your thermostat when cooking, or when you have more people around

If you’re spending more time in the kitchen cooking this festive season, this can increase the heat in your home from using your appliances. If you have lots of people around, this can also generate plenty of heat.

According to Energy Saving Trust, depending on where you live in the UK, turning down the thermostat by one degree from 22 to 21 degrees could save you £90-£100 a year.

3. Make your washing machine and dishwasher go further

The festive season often comes with more washing up. Make sure you fully load your dishwasher and washing machine before switching them on.

You could use the ‘eco’ setting on them if you have one. And you could try washing at 30 degrees which, according to Energy Saving Trust, could save you about £12-£15 a year depending on where you live in the UK.

4. Invest in some draught excluders

This can work especially well if you have a chimney. According to Energy Saving Trust, it could save you £90, depending on where you live in the UK.

You could also add draught excluders to the bottom of doors where you can feel cold air coming through. This should help the need to heat your home less.

5. Embracing cosy culture

Have you heard of the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced ‘hoo-gah’)? It’s all about being cosy and comfortable, and it can be a great way to save energy. You could:

turn down the thermostat and wear thicker jumpers and blankets to be extra cosy
switch the lights off and use LED candles to create a cosier atmosphere
switch off the screens and spend some time reading or playing board games instead.

6. Use the right appliances for cooking

Unless you’re going to be batch cooking food, you could save energy by using your microwave, air fryer, or slow cooker instead of your electric oven. According to Energy Saving Trust, it can cost £0.20 to cook a 600g chicken breast in an electric oven, compared to £0.14 in an air fryer.

If you’re cooking for family or guests, it would be better to use your electric oven to make use of the heat for bigger portions.

7. Keep lids on pans when cooking on the hob

According to Energy Saving Trust, keeping lids on pans when cooking uses about 10% less energy and helps your food to cook faster, too.

8. Keep your oven door closed when cooking

One of the most common ways heat is wasted when cooking is when you open the oven door to check on your food. Every time the door is opened, heat escapes and it takes longer to heat back up to temperature again.

So, make sure the oven door is clear enough to look through to reduce the need to open it.

9. Upgrade festive decorations to LED or solar powered lights

LED lights use around 80% less energy than halogen lights. You can even find outdoor decorations that are solar powered, making use of an unlimited and free natural resource. Even on cloudy winter days, they should be able to capture enough light to power your decorations when it gets dark.

You could also save £40-£50 in a year by changing your home’s lights with LED bulbs, depending on where you live in the UK.

For more information and advice on lighting, read Energy Saving Trust’s guide.

10. Switch your devices off at the plug – and use a timer for your festive lights

Many modern festive lights come with a timer to keep them on for around eight hours a day, and off the rest of the time. This can help stop them wasting energy from being switched on during daylight hours when they have little impact.

From festive lights to big appliances, switching your devices off at the plug could save you £45-£55 a year depending on where you live in the UK.