Energy saving tips for renters

Insulate your hot water cylinder

A hot water cylinder is a well-insulated tank which stores water after it’s been heated. Water is heated through your boiler system and is then stored, at temperature, ready for you to use whenever it’s needed. By storing hot water in this way, there’s no need to run the heating system constantly resulting in lower energy bills, without subjecting household members to cold showers.

These cylinders are not in all houses or flats however if you have one, they are normally found in the airing cupboard, but they can equally be found in the loft, bathroom, kitchen therefore have a thorough look around the property.

Using a hot water jacket is the easiest method of insulating a hot water tank. There should be specific manufacturer's instructions included with the jacket you purchase. However, there are some general guidelines to follow:

• Energy Saving Trust guidelines suggest purchasing a British Standard tank jacket at least 80mm thick. Measuring your hot water cylinder before buying is also advisable to ensure you get the right size. However, if your tank already has insulation but is less than 75mm thick, you could either add another jacket on top or replace it altogether.

Change your light bulb to Smart bulbs

Smart light bulbs use LED technology that are typically more efficient than standard light bulbs. Switching the bulbs over in your home is a quick way to help reduce your energy consumption and could lead to noticeable savings on your electricity bills.

You can control smart light bulbs through an app on your mobile, tablet, or a smart home hub such as Google, Alexa or Apple HomeKit. Here, you can put the light bulbs onto a schedule based on your routine, helping control the amount of electricity you use.

There are a variety of smart light bulbs available on the market at different price points to suit any home need. Make sure to dispose of your old lightbulbs properly at your local recycling centre.

Please check with your landlord and your rental agreement before changing the light bulbs.

Reduce standby energy with smart plugs

According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), between 9% and 16% of electricity consumed in homes is used to power appliances when they are in standby mode.

Smart plugs are a great way to reduce the amount of standby energy being drained by unused appliances.

Smart plugs control individual plug sockets, which can either be programmed into a routine or operated through their respective app. Similar to smart meters and thermostats, some smart plugs may allow you to monitor electricity usage per outlet, giving you improved visibility of how much energy is being used. These smart plugs can be purchased from a hardware or DIY store.

Utilising boiler controls might reduce your energy bill

Boiler controls allow you to take charge of how heating is managed around your home, from scheduling times, considering the outdoor weather or knowing your vacation dates. Glow-worm offer a variety of controls that provide additional managerial flexibility to suit your lifestyle.

There are over six Glow-worm controls to choose from, and they all offer different features to suit your needs around the home.

• MiGo: managed via an app on any smart mobile device.
• MiSet: : a modern and sleek appearance with a touch interface, meaning it is managed with the swipe of a finger.
• Climapro2 RF: is a wireless programmable room thermostat that is designed as an easy-to-use handheld remote control that can be used around the house.
• Climapro1: is a straightforward 2-channel controller for central heating and hot water.
• Climastat Select: one of Glow-worm’s easiest thermostats. This device allows you to control your room temperature and has a discreet appearance.

Glow-worm controls allow you to prioritise what’s essential in your home, and each control offers different options; therefore, your personal preferences will determine the control you need for your home.

For example, digital controls may appeal to younger people since they enable them to integrate their homes into smart systems. However, for older people, finding a device that is straightforward and does not require much setup may be the deciding factor.

* Check individual controls pages for smart assistant compatibility

Bleeding your radiators could reduce energy consumption

Bleeding radiators every so often could save energy, improving efficiency as this releases air trapped within. Bleeding your radiator is a simple task that can be performed from the comfort of your home.

Take a look at how to bleed your radiators here in seven simple steps.

Rearranging furniture to promote heat flow

A simple and cost-free improvement you can make is rearranging your big furniture allowing your home to heat efficiently, and saving money on your energy bills.

To do this follow Mitch Wright’s guidelines: Want to Improve the Heat in your Home? Move the Furniture! (mitchwrightair.com)

If you have moved into a furnished home, please make sure to ask your landlord for permission.

Smart meters can help you indicate the source of your energy consumption

If you install a smart meter, your energy perception is likely to change as this device allows you to monitor your live consumption and wastage.

Smart meters can be acquired through your energy supplier however there might be certain permission requirements therefore we recommend asking your landlord before acquiring one.

Small habit changes

A strategy to save energy does not need to take up a lot of time or alter your lifestyle. It can be very simple that you might not even notice it happening. These habit modifications are intended to help you conserve energy going forward.

#1 Ensure all your lights are off when leaving a room.

21% of people in the UK leave their lights on when leaving the house. This amounts to 4.4 billion pounds of wastage every single year.

Turning off your lights when leaving the room could save you money on your electrical bills.

#2 Close your curtains or blinds at night.

According to research conducted by the University of Salford, shutting your curtains can reduce heat loss by 15-17% meaning saving you energy around the home. Closing your blinds or curtains at night could potentially save you money on your energy bills.

#3 Avoid leaving the fridge door open for an extended period of time or placing hot items in the fridge.

Even though it may not seem like a big problem, leaving the fridge door open while you pick what to eat uses 7% of the appliance's overall energy and placing warm items in the fridge can make the fridge work harder to cool down the items, consuming more energy. Therefore, leaving hot items to cool down outside the fridge would be more efficient on the energy bills.

#4 Running the dishwasher and washing machine when it is fully loaded.

A dishwasher and washing machine cycle uses the same amount of water and energy whether it is full or empty. Therefore, waiting until it's full before you run a cycle could reduce your energy bill along with the number of times you have to run your washer.

Article Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com

#5 Instead of using the dryer, try hanging your items to dry.

There are various clothing racks available on the market to suit your needs and wants, such as heated, vertical, horizontal, overhead and many more. Depending on the amount of space, humidity, weather, ect within your home there will be a drying rack to suit your lifestyle.

These heated racks are essentially an alternative to the cost of using a tumble dryer or the cost (and hassle) of visiting the laundrette. An electric drying rack will cost up to around 15p per hour to run — opposed to about £1.80 per cycle with a tumble dryer. Best heated clothes airers and drying racks in 2022 (UK) | Mashable

#6 Avoid overfilling the kettle

The Energy Saving Trust estimated that three quarters of British households overfill their kettles that contributes to £68 million of wastage each year. Therefore, it is more effective to only fill the kettle as needed.