Top tips to save energy during the colder months

Make the most of your radiators

When using your radiators, it is important to make sure they are functioning well to heat your home.

Help your radiators to perform well by:

• bleeding them twice a year to keep hot water circulating freely
• keeping furniture out of the way so heat can fill the room more easily
• installing radiator reflectors to direct heat away from walls and into the room.

Wear layers indoors

Before turning up the thermostat, consider adding extra layers of clothing.

Wearing multiple thin layers, along with thick socks and thermals can significantly reduce heat loss from your body and keep you warm without increasing heating costs.

A warm blanket is another essential during periods of cold weather and helps you to stay warm for less. If you’re sitting for long periods, consider using a heated blanket or hot water bottle as these provide warmth at a minimal energy price. If using a hot water bottle, you could make a hot drink too so you only need to boil the kettle once.

Dry your washing indoors

Air drying your clothes is a great way to save energy.

Firstly, make sure you use your washing machine’s maximum spin speed to extract excess water from your clothes. Or try adding an extra spin cycle at the end of a wash.

If there is some winter sunshine and a breeze, drying clothes outside can leave your clothes smelling fresh and clean.

If drying inside your home, using a clothes airer lets larger loads of laundry dry evenly. Try putting it in a spot with good ventilation to prevent dampness in the air. For t-shirts, jumpers and shirts, using hangers could help them to dry more quickly. Another idea is to use a heated clothing rack to speed up the drying process as they can be relatively cheap to run.