Written by David Walter, Chief Commercial Officer
23 July 2024 - Whether you want to reduce your utility bills or contribute to a greener planet, adopting energy-efficient habits can make a significant difference. At UW, we're committed to helping you achieve these goals.
Dive into our energy saving tips and learn how you can reduce your consumption today.
Not all kitchen appliances are made equal: microwaves and slow cookers are typically much more efficient at converting energy into heat than ovens.
Microwaves are especially good for reheating and cooking small portions, while slow cookers use low, consistent heat over a longer period, making them ideal for stews and soups.
If you use a dishwasher at home, running a full load on an economy program is one of the best ways you can save on energy.
Washing a half load with only a handful of dishes wastes energy, so wait until it’s full before running. Running your dishwasher for one cycle fewer a week could save you £12 a year.
Keeping your fridge and freezer full, but not overloaded, ensures it operates efficiently. Proper airflow is crucial for maintaining consistent temperatures, which helps reduce energy consumption.
Check that the seals on your fridge and freezer doors are airtight, and replace worn seals to prevent cold air from escaping and reduce energy waste.
Clean the coils behind your fridge and freezer regularly. Dust and debris can accumulate on the coils, making the machine use more energy to cool things down..
Ice build-up forces the freezer to work harder to maintain the correct temperature, leading to higher energy usage.
Defrosting your freezer every few months or when you spot ice build-up can help it maintain optimal performance and energy efficiency.
Using the correct size of pots and pans on a stovetop can help waste less energy. A small pot on a large burner uses unnecessary power that could be saved by matching the pot size to the burner size.
If you’re bringing a pot to a boil, covering it with a lid helps it retain heat and reach a boil faster, reducing the energy needed by up to 124kW a year. You can also use the kettle to boil water before adding it to a pot if you don’t need to heat the contents of the pan up from a lower temperature.
Freezing leftovers is an excellent way to reduce food waste, but there’s a way to thaw your frozen food that’s easier on your utility bill.
Plan ahead and defrost food in the fridge overnight instead of using a microwave. This saves energy and is the safest method of defrosting food to prevent it from entering the temperature range ‘danger zone’ where harmful bacteria can grow.
Each time you open the oven door while it’s on, the temperature inside drops by about 25°C, requiring more energy to bring it back up.
While it can be tempting to take a peek while cooking or baking something, try to use the oven light to check on food instead of opening the door.
Meal prepping isn’t just handy for saving time. Cooking multiple meals at once allows you to use your oven or stove more efficiently, reducing the amount of meals you have to make from scratch every day. This means fewer times for your oven and hobs to heat up from completely cold.
Batch cooking, storing meals in the fridge or freezer, and reheating them in the microwave is a great solution for saving energy and time.
The kettle is an excellent way to heat water quickly, but overfilling it means you’re using more energy to heat water that you won’t use.
Measure the water before filling the kettle to ensure you're only boiling what you need. This can save up to 83kW of electricity a year.
The average UK household could save up to £45 each year by turning off and unplugging electronics when not in use. Many devices consume energy even when left in standby mode or turned off, a phenomenon known as phantom energy loss or phantom load.
Turn off and unplug your devices when you don’t need them to prevent phantom energy loss from increasing your bill.
If you use extension cables around your home, switching to smart power strips can reduce the amount of electricity you’re consuming when your devices aren’t being used.
These strips automatically shut down power to electronics when they enter standby mode. This is especially handy for home entertainment systems where devices – like TVs and consoles – aren’t completely turned off when not in use.
Using the power-saving mode on your television is a no-brainer for cutting down your home electricity usage. But did you know that the type of TV you have can also affect the price of your utility bill?
Research by Which? suggests that TVs with OLED screens are the cheapest to run, while LCD models are the most expensive.
Factors like the size of your screen, the brightness of the display, the age of your TV, and its overall energy-efficiency rating can also impact your electricity bill.
Washing clothes at 30⁰C instead of higher temperatures can save up to 40% of the energy used over a year. Lots of laundry detergents are also designed to work efficiently at lower temperatures, so your clothes will still get a proper clean.
The tumble dryer – along with washing machines and dishwashers – was named one of the highest-energy-consuming appliances in the home, accounting for 14% of an average energy bill.
To cut down on your dryer running up your bill, use a clothesline or indoor drying rack to air dry your laundry. If you have to use a tumble dryer, consider using it on a lower heat setting and removing clothes while they are still slightly damp to finish drying naturally.
Running partial loads in the washing machine or dish washer wastes both water and energy. Only run your washing machine and dryer with full loads to maximise efficiency.
If you have to run a smaller load, see if you can adjust the water level setting or change to a more energy-efficient cycle to avoid unnecessary energy and water usage.
While making the most of each wash load is recommended, you should also avoid overloading your washing machine and dryer, as this can decrease their efficiency. Overloading can lead to longer cycle times and less effective cleaning.
Refer to your appliance's manual for recommended load sizes to ensure you’re using them efficiently.
If your laundry is soiled, consider soaking dirty items to soften dried-on dirt before putting them in the washing machine. This can improve cleaning efficiency and reduce the need for higher-temperature washes.
Cleaning the tumble dryer of fluff should be a regular household task, but it’s also a step towards a more energy-efficient home. Clogged filters restrict airflow, making the dryer work harder and use more energy.
In addition to cleaning the lint filter after every use, periodically cleaning the exhaust vent to prevent blockages will also improve efficiency.
The average shower head uses around 12 litres of water per minute, and power showers use 15 litres, but low-flow shower heads only pass around six litres of water a minute.
While eco shower heads use less water by cleverly controlling the flow and spray pattern, they still give you the feeling of high pressure. This means you can enjoy the experience you’re used to, but can turn down the dial and save around £35 on your water bill a year.
One of the simplest ways to save water at home is to cut down your shower time. Taking four-minute showers could save the average UK household £55 a year.
A leaky tap can drain significant water and energy – especially if it’s the hot water tap. In fact, research suggests that if a dripping tap can fill a mug of water in five minutes, you could be wasting over 30,000 litres of water.
Fixing them as soon as you spot them can mean substantial savings on your utility bill and water usage.
Another tip for being more conservative with your water usage is to install a dual-flush toilet. These have two flush options, with one flush using less water than the other, so you have better control over how much water you use.
These models generally use 3–6 litres of water compared to single-flush toilets, which can use up to 13 litres per flush. However, they can use a lot more water than single-flush toilets if the flush mechanism starts to leak, so any issues should be reported and fixed as soon as possible.
When brushing your teeth, leaving the tap running can waste an estimated six litres of water per minute. Simply turning the tap off can really cut down on your water usage.
On average, a full bath uses around 80 litres of water, whereas an electric shower can use an estimated five litres per minute. Taking a five-minute shower can consume less than half of what it takes to run a bath and significantly reduce your water bill.
Sleep mode isn’t just for your television. Setting your laptop or computer to sleep mode when inactive reduces energy consumption by minimising the power used when the device isn’t in active use.
Most laptops and desktop computers will have settings that automatically switch to sleep mode after a period of inactivity. You can usually adjust and reduce the time of inactivity before sleep mode kicks in in your device’s settings.
Customising your device’s power settings can further reduce energy consumption. Use power-saving modes to lower energy usage when working on less demanding tasks. These settings reduce the power used by adjusting the performance of your CPU, screen brightness, and other components.
While we’re on the topic of power, don’t forget to switch your devices off when you clock out. It can be tempting to leave them on standby mode for the next day, but this leaves your devices running and sapping electricity while you’re away from your desk. This includes printers, scanners, and monitors.
Did you know that laptop chargers can draw power even when the device is fully charged or not connected? Make it a habit to unplug chargers from the wall once your devices are fully charged.
If your office tech needs an upgrade, consider an energy-efficient model. Smaller laptops use less energy than a desktop and monitor, and newer models tend to have better energy-efficiency ratings.
Keeping your devices well-maintained is good for their performance, but also their energy efficiency.
If dust or debris gets into your machine's fans or vents, it can block the airflow and make your device work harder to maintain the correct working temperature. If it overheats, your device could use more power than it needs to operate (or worse, damage it).
While it might seem counterintuitive, keeping your router switched on continuously can actually save energy. Internet routers are designed to be used 24/7, giving us uninterrupted and reliable broadband throughout our homes.
Turning the router off and on means it has to reboot, which can use more power than if it were running normally.
If you’re using your heating to keep your home warm and toasty, the last thing you want is for that warmth to be lost to gaps and poor insulation. Draught-proofing — installing draught excluders around your doors and windows — could save you £40 a year and help keep the cold at bay.
If your home is better insulated and there’s less heat loss, you may be able to turn down your thermostat and reduce the temperature to warm your home.
Even lowering your thermostat by just 1°C can reduce your heating costs by up to 10%.
Using a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature and turn off your central heating during the hours you don’t need it can also reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Having a smart meter installed can also help you track how much energy you’re using and spot what might be leeching lots of power so you can make real-time adjustments. If you’re a UW customer, you can upgrade to a smart meter for free.
Bleeding your radiators helps to remove trapped air that can prevent them from heating up properly. This simple task means your radiators can operate more efficiently and provide consistent heat throughout your home.
If you notice cold spots on your radiators or hear gurgling noises coming from them, it’s a sign that you may need to bleed them.
If your boiler is over 15 years old, the chances are that the technology used to make it isn't as advanced or energy-efficient as boilers being installed today.
While the initial cost of upgrading to a new boiler can be high, the energy savings over time can offset the investment. Double-check that you’re getting an A-rated boiler to ensure you’ll reap the rewards.
Made the switch to a newer, more energy-efficient boiler? Be sure to routinely check that it’s in optimal working condition, as any issues can mean that your boiler loses efficiency or has to work harder to run properly.
Scheduling a regular boiler service, ideally before the winter months when you rely on your heating the most, can help spot any problems.
Discover more energy efficiency tips for your boiler here.
In an average UK home, lighting makes up 15% of the electricity bill. There are two main types of lightbulbs in use: traditional halogen and LED bulbs. Halogen bulbs have been around for longer and consume more energy than their LED counterparts.
While LEDs tend to be more expensive upfront, switching your halogen bulbs to LEDs could bring savings of £75 over the bulb's lifetime.
Dimmer switches let you adjust the brightness of your lights depending on how much you need, which can mean reducing your energy consumption. You may not always need your lights on at full brightness, and turning them down can also extend their lifespan.
A bonus tip is to dust your light bulbs and light fixtures regularly. A layer of dust can dim their brightness, causing you to crank up the power when you don’t need to.
Sometimes, reducing your energy consumption doesn’t require fancy upgrades or substantial changes; it can be as simple as switching up your daily habits.
Getting into the habit of turning off the lights whenever you leave a room means less wasted electricity and a lower utility bill.
Instead of lighting an entire room, task lighting illuminates specific areas where more brightness is needed. Task lighting includes desk lamps, under-cabinet lights, and reading lamps.
Not only is task lighting more efficient, but it can also improve the functionality of your living spaces as it’s more tailored to what you need it for.
When you switch your energy, broadband, and mobile with UW, you don't just get £100 off your bill - you also unlock:
One simple bill (because life’s complicated enough)
Award-winning UK customer service
More savings every month
Your local UW Partner will sort it all for you. No stress, just savings and more savings.
The legal bit
£100 bill credit: Must be a new homeowner customer who signs up via a UW Partner on or after 04/02/25 taking at least three eligible services. See full terms and conditions here.
Whether it’s gas or electricity, you can save more on your household bills when you bundle your services with UW. Our variable energy tariffs are always cheaper than the price cap, and we’ll give you up to £400* towards any early exit fees with your current suppliers to help you make the switch.
Discover all our energy deals here.
The legal bit
*When you switch at least three of your services (one must be energy): energy, broadband and mobile, and you are a new customer, we’ll give you credit up to £400 towards any termination fees you have to pay your current providers. You’ll need to return any equipment and pay for services you used before you cancel. Additional requirements apply to customers who are tenants.
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22 February 2021 - UW now hosts 10 years worth of Uswitch Recommended Supplier endorsements, as well as the most recent win – the Which? Utilities Brand of the Year award for 2020.
1 December 2020 - UW is a founding signatory of Energy UK’s new Vulnerability Commitment, and has promised to offer more support to vulnerable customers.
Taking care of your boiler will help keep your home energy efficient. UW can help you with this. Check out our top tips today.
We recognise that some UK families are facing a serious challenge. Rises to wholesale energy costs are affecting energy bills on top of other cost-of-living rises.
