8 Top Tips Could Save You £488+ From Octopus Energy
1. Set Your Boiler’s Flow Temperature Between 55 And 60 Degrees 🔥 You Could Save £70
Your boiler’s flow setting controls the temperature of the water when it leaves your boiler. Its default setting is usually too high. Turn it down a bit, and your home will feel just as warm, but you could cut your energy bills by 8%. Based on the average cost of gas used by a medium UK home on a price cap tariff, you could save ~£70 per year, according to Octopus Energy. If you have a combi boiler, we recommend setting your flow temperature to 50c for heating and 55c for hot water. Suppose you have a boiler and a hot water cylinder. In that case, we recommend setting the flow temperature on your boiler to a few degrees over 60c for heating and hot water and setting your hot water cylinder to 60c (you’ll usually find the control for your cylinder ⅓ of the way up the tank). Good to know: Hot water should be stored at a high enough temperature to stop bacteria like legionella from multiplying. Get more information about trying this tip safely.
2. Air Dry, Don’t Tumble Dry 👖 You Could Save: £60
Ditching the tumble dryer and drying your clothes on a washing line or clotheshorse could save you £60 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust. Avoid drying clothes on radiators – this makes your boiler work harder.
3. Mind The Gaps 🚪🪟 You Could Save: £45
A continuous draught can quickly undo all the good work of your heating. Identifying and plugging draughts around doors, windows, and other gaps can help trap warmth and increase your gas spending. See more practical tips. Professional draught-proofing can cost a few hundred pounds, or you can find draughts yourself using the back of your hand or with a thermal camera and make your excluders for free using old fabric scraps. Average saving: £45 per year
4. Control Your Thermostat 🌡️ You Could Save: £128
Tweaking your thermostat (using it as an on/off switch or boost, for example) can mean more gas is wasted - you’ll be comfier and more efficient if you set it and leave it on for a while you need it. Setting your thermostat to somewhere between 18-21°c is ideal, and turning down the temperature by just 1 degree could save up to £128 on your energy bill.
5. Put An Insulation Jacket On Your Hot Water Tank 🧥 You Could Save £35
To reduce heat loss and therefore keep your hot water hotter for longer, add a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick to your hot water cylinder, and you could save £35 a year in the process. Exposed hot water pipes can also be insulated using a foam tube that covers the pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler.
6. Get In A Nighttime Routine.
You’ll keep more heat in your home if you pull your curtains before dark (up to 15% reduction in heat loss!).
7. Reduce Your Shower Time 🚿 You Could Save: £70
Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £70 a year!
8. Be Bright With Your Lights 💡 You Could Save: £80+
Lighting makes up around 11% of a typical power bill. LEDs use 70-80% less electricity – so when it's time to replace those bulbs, go LED. The Energy Savings Trust has written loads about the impact it could make on your bills: between £5-£13 per bulb per year! Switching off the lights when you leave the room can save a further £20 per year.
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