Easy Energy Saving Tips For Your Home

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• Use your dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes. Hand washing uses more water that needs to be expensively heated.

• When using the washing machine, ensure it is a full load when possible.

• Wash your clothes in the washing machine at 30°C. Most modern detergents work fine at this temperature.

• Keep tumble drying to a minimum – dry clothes naturally instead.

• Only boil as much water as you need in your kettle. Filling the kettle full each time you boil it can waste almost €20 a year.

• Keep your fridge and freezer door closed to minimise warming.

• Defrost your freezer regularly. There shouldn’t be more than a quarter of an inch of ice in the box.

• Turn your hot water down. Just 5°C will make a big difference.

• Fit a good quality 80mm (3”) lagging jacket around your water tank. This will insulate the tank, keeping water warmer for longer.

• When cooking, cover saucepans with lids where possible to reduce cooking time.

• Grilling food uses less energy than oven cooking and it takes less time.

• Use low wattage bulbs in areas where appropriate, such as hallways.

• You can save a significant amount of energy by switching off lights and appliances (e.g. TVs and PCs). Turn them off fully – don’t leave them on standby as they will often still use energy.

• When buying new appliances, check the energy efficiency labels and buy the best rated appliance you can afford. “A” is the most energy efficient and “G” is the least efficient.