The three top tips leading the government's new energy efficiency campaign
The Government has launched an £18 million public campaign to help consumers reduce energy waste and cut bills.
Radio, TV and street advertising will all form a part of the marketing campaign, titled 'It All Adds Up'.
The campaign comes from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and is led by the business secretary, Grant Shapps.
It focuses on three key tips: reducing boiler flow temperature, unplugging appliances that aren't in use, and draught proofing to limit wasted heat.
A new website dedicated to the It All Adds Up campaign launched today, offering energy saving advice for households. It joins the government's Help For Households information, which details how to access financial support for paying your bills.
We've calculated that if approximately 180,000 people reduce their boiler flow temperatures in the way suggested below, the government campaign would match its costs with savings on household bills.
Our My Money Health Check tool offers personalised advice to help you save money during the cost of living crisis.
Tip one: reduce combi boiler flow temperature
In September, we encouraged people to turn down the flow temperature of their combi boilers. This is now also being encouraged by the government's campaign.
Most homes in the UK have wet central heating systems, which means your boiler heats up water and sends it into your radiators.
The temperature of the water leaving your boiler is called the heating flow temperature. When it comes back, this is the 'return temperature'.
If you have a combi boiler, the heating flow temperature is different from the hot water temperature coming out of your taps.
Setting your combi boiler flow temperature to 60oC or lower will reduce energy use and increase boiler efficiency.
Because lower flow temperatures make your radiators less hot, you may find that you need to turn it up on very cold days and turn it back down on milder days.
The size of your radiators and the energy efficiency of your home affects how well your home can be heated with low flow temperatures. But we recommend trying, and if a 60oC flow temperature works well, you could even set it lower.
Which? has partnered with Nesta's Money Saving Boiler Challenge which walks you through how to reduce the flow temperature of your combi boiler.
Why does this cut bills?
If you have a combi boiler, research shows that you can save between 8-9% of your heating bill by turning the flow temperature down to 60oC.
A lot of homes don't need scalding hot radiators with water at 80oC to comfortably reach the temperatures set on your thermostat. Having cooler water in your radiators uses less energy, but will still get your rooms up to the temperature on your thermostat. Note that it might take a little longer to warm up than you're used to.
Modern boilers are at their most efficient when the water that comes back into them is lower than 55oC, so that they can condense and save some energy.
So having your flow temperature too high not only uses more energy initially, but can also mean that the water returning to your boiler is too hot as well. Even an A-rated boiler won't run at its claimed 90%+ efficiency unless its flow temperature is low.
What if I don't have a combi boiler?
If you have a boiler with a hot water cylinder, you shouldn't set your flow temperature lower than 65oC unless it's done by an engineer.
Water that's stored in a tank for use in your taps needs to be heated up to at least 60oC when your boiler's working so that any bacteria in it is killed off.
However, you can make some savings by wrapping up your hot water tank in an insulated jacket and lagging pipes so that no heat is lost as it travels around your home.
If your boiler's stopped working during cold weather, find out how to thaw a frozen condensate pipe.
Tip two: unplug appliances not in use
The It All Adds Up campaign also encourages people to unplug their appliances when they're not being used.
Some appliances still use electricity even when turned off. For example, appliances that can be turned on by a remote will be drawing electricity while they search for a signal to turn on again.
We use our lab data to find out how much it costs annually to leave your tech on stand-by. Savings can be modest in some cases, but they can 'all add up'.
Find out how much it really costs to leave your tech on standby.
There are some appliances that shouldn't be switched off at the wall, as it can cause damage or be unsafe.
- Leave wireless routers on all the time, as turning them on and off can affect your connection speeds;
- Keep printers connected, as they need to frequently clean their ink heads even when not in use;
- Always keep your fridge freezer switched on as turning it off can lead to unsafe food.
Note that your fridge freezer only needs to use lots of energy to cool down when you've opened the door, so try to limit how often you do so, and for how long.
Bringing down appliance running costs
Household appliances do make up a large portion of your home's electricity consumption, so it's worth being aware of how much energy yours use.
Appliance running costs are different for every model - so we publish annual running costs for individual products, including washing machines, dishwashers and televisions in our reviews.
Find out: how much your appliances cost to run.
Once you know what you're dealing with when it comes to running costs, we've also got tips on how to make your appliances work in a more energy efficient way and bring those costs down.
For example, all of these will reduce your appliance energy usage:
- Turn small appliances off rather than using stand-by modes
- Wash clothes at lower temperatures - 20oC or 30oC can be cheaper to run
- Only run dishwashers and washing machines when they're full
- Wait for food to cool down before putting it into the fridge or freezer
- Clean the filters on appliances that have them, as this makes them run more efficiently
- Dust or vacuum the coils around the back of your fridge if you can reach them
- Regularly descale your kettle and defrost your freezer
Find out more: Our guide to how to clean the filters on your appliances to save money on your bills and keep them lasting longer.
Tip three: reduce heat loss by draught proofing
Reducing heat loss in your home is really important for reducing energy waste, and also helps your home to heat up quickly and stay feeling cosy for longer.
While the biggest way to stop heat escaping is with a big insulation project, this can be expensive and isn't suitable for every home.
Quick fixes to seal gaps, cracks and holes around your home can be very cheap, easy to do and make an immediate difference.
Tools you can pick up from a local DIY store or online include:
- Adhesive weatherproof tape made of PVC or foam to go around doors and windows.
- Threshold seals to go on either side of doors.
- Letterbox draught excluders with brush pile material.
- Thermoplastic rubber (TPR) to fit flexibly into door and window cavities.
- Inflatable pillows designed to fit inside an open chimney shaft to block off draughts (as long as it's not in use).
Soft furnishings such as rugs and curtains can also be a good way to prevent draughts. If your front door is particularly draughty, a curtain hung across it when not in use can make a big difference to heat loss.
Make sure you keep any gaps for ventilation that are supposed to be there - such as trickle vents in windows or grids and grates in floors - as these are essential for maintaining good air quality in your home and avoiding mould and condensation issues.
Read our guide to draught proofing your home for more details.
More Which? advice to help you cut energy bills
The It All Adds Up campaign has selected a range of tips that are accessible and immediate, and help you maintain a warm home.
It's designed to help people to use their energy more efficiently, rather than to use it less.
There are lots of other things you can do to reduce your energy bills, depending on your home, your circumstances and your budget.
For more information, we've also summarised 11 ways to cut heating bills, which includes additional advice on:
- Turning off the pre-heat setting on your combi boiler
- How to bleed your radiators if they're not warming up properly
- Insulate your hot water cylinder's pipes and tank if you have one
- Details on the range of energy bill financial support and home grants available right now.
If you are finding it really difficult to afford your energy bills, make sure you find out exactly what additional support you may be eligible for as there are many grants, discounts and benefits available depending on your circumstances.
Head to our guide to the help available if you're struggling to pay your energy bills or to the government's Help For Households advice for more information on what extra money you may be entitled to.
