When it comes to saving energy in your home, there are numerous options available, from simply adopting a few daily routines to installing energy-efficient replacements for your usual equipment. They all contribute to the reduction of your utility bill as well as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from your household. Switch plan has compiled a list of the best ways to save on your energy. Here, we have put together some great additional energy-saving tips for your home.

Get your boiler serviced regularly

Your boiler is responsible for more than half of your total annual energy use. Getting it serviced ensures that it burns fuel as effectively as possible, allowing you to save money on heating expenses. It is always a good idea to have this done before the cold weather sets in, so you have time to get any fixes done.

Aside from having your boiler serviced once a year, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure your entire heating system is in good working order, such as bleeding your radiators and verifying that they are balanced, or simply lowering your thermostat down a few degrees.

Draught proof your home

Draught proofing is a reasonably inexpensive and simple procedure that pays for itself over and over again. Filling in all of the holes around your doors and windows prevents all of your warm air from escaping outside and prevents the chilly outside air from intruding into your home as well.

Look for any holes in these areas. Once you have identified any gaps between windows and frames, head to your local hardware store and pick up some cheap draught-proofing strips. Floorboards can be filled with flexible fillers, and loft hatches can be insulated with strip insulation. Don't forget your letterbox flaps and keyhole covers too.

Insulate your home

If you can add to the insulation in your home, less heat will escape. The three main areas to insulate are:

Attic

If you live in a house with an uninsulated attic, almost a quarter of your heat is physically escaping through the roof of the house. Imagine how much money that is costing you over the course of a year. If you already have insulation, check it is at the recommended thickness of 207mm, and if it isn't, get it done. You'll save a fortune.

Cavity wall

Because the walls account for around one-third of all heat loss in an uninsulated home, it may be worthwhile to investigate the possibility of installing cavity wall insulation to prevent heat loss from occurring. Housing built after 1990 should have included insulation; if your home was built between 1920 and 1990, it is likely to have cavity walls and would benefit from having insulation installed. Your walls are most likely solid if you live before 1920.

Pipes

Pipe insulation is something that you can do yourself in most cases. Pipe insulation is made out of foam tubing that is placed over the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and your boiler, limiting the amount of heat that is lost and, as a result, allowing your water to remain at a higher temperature for longer.

Turn appliances off

If something is warm to touch or has a standby light, or both, it is using energy. Instead of leaving appliances on standby mode, unplug them or at the very least turn them off at the wall. It won't affect the settings of most appliances and will save you a significant amount of money.

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