10 Effective Tips for the Big Energy-Saving Week 2024

Big Energy-Saving Week is fast-approaching, and as we grow ever nearer to the 17th of the month, it’s important that we know what the Big Energy-Saving Week is, why it’s done annually and what you can do to make sure that you can pull the week off with some energy-saving hints and tips.

What is the Big Energy-Saving Week?

The Big Energy-Saving Week is something that happens annually from the 17th January right through to 23rd January. It has the sole aim of getting as many people as possible to be more mindful of the energy they’re unnecessarily using throughout their homes. It’s something that has become even more prevalent with the rising costs of gas and electricity, so more people than ever before are looking to both help the planet and save some money on energy bills. If you’ve never taken part in the Big Energy-Saving Week before and are looking to give it a try this year, we thought it would be beneficial to give you some effective tips for saving as much energy as possible.

10 effective tips for Big Energy-Saving Week 2024

You might be wondering how, exactly, can you save energy more than you’re doing so already. You might be surprised by how much you can still contribute to energy-saving throughout your home. But don’t fret, because we’re on hand with ten useful tips for saving energy as we approach the Big Energy Saving Week 2024:

1. Turn everything off, making sure you don’t leave anything on standby

Where you might think that pressing the button on your remote control does the trick to turn your telly off, you’d be mistaken. This is the same for everything with a standby button. Power is still being drawn by the device even if you’re not using it. According to Money to the Masses, 55% of households who said that they left items on standby were actually wasting around 23% of the electricity they were paying for. The same source also states that those households were also wasting around £147 per year by leaving devices in standby mode. To make doubly sure that the device isn’t drawing more power than it needs to be when not in use, turn it off at the wall.

2. Turn off the lights in rooms you’re not using

Where this one might seem obvious, you’d be surprised by how many lights you actually forget to turn off when you leave a room. Make sure that you’re getting into the habit of hitting the light switch when you exit somewhere, even if you’re wanting to come back to the same room in a few minutes. Not only will this help to save you some money in an age where electricity costs a fortune, but it will also enable you to practise some eco-friendly, energy-saving techniques at home.

3. Switch all of your lightbulbs out for LEDs

If you still have halogen lightbulbs floating around your home, then make the switch the LED alternatives. Where you might not think that they make much of a difference, you might be surprised by how much of a difference it can make. Not only does it benefit your bank account, but it also benefits the planet.

For example, if you switched out a 60W halogen lightbulb for a 9W LED (which emits the same light as the 60W halogen bulb), you’re reducing your energy consumption by as much as 85%, claims LED Hut. If that’s not a good enough excuse to start getting LED lightbulbs instead of halogen ones, then I don’t know what is.

4. Wash your clothes at 30 degrees

Unless your clothes are particularly soiled or dirty, there’s no need for you to be washing your clothes at any temperature other than 30 degrees. It’s considered to be far more energy-efficient, especially if you’re washing full loads. By making sure your washing machine has a full load in it before setting it off on its 30-degree cycle, you could end up reducing washing machine usage by one wash a week.

5. Make sure your home is well-insulated

It’s important that your home isn’t letting out any heat, or letting in any draughts, especially in winter. The best way to make sure that the heat you’re generating is staying inside the home is to insulate as much of it as you can. Whether you board your loft or have cavity wall insulation fitted, it’s all going to help to retain heat inside the home, rather than let it all filter out through the roof. According to Home Logic, an insulated home can save around 35% of your heating costs.

6. Swap your bath for a shower

You might not think that your method of bathething really matters when it comes to saving energy, but a full bath uses, on average, around 80 litres of water every single time. A shower, on the other hand, uses 75 litres of water on average, states South Staffs Water. Where it might not sound like much to begin with, it will all add up over the course of Big Energy-Saving Week, saving 35 litres of water over the course of 7 days by making the switch. If you can save that much in a week, think about how much you could save in a year! If you had a shower instead of a bath everyday for 365 days, then you’ll be saving 1,825 litres of water annually.

7. Air-dry your clothes

Tumble dryers are not just expensive to run, but they require a lot of energy. They also contribute to the number of microplastics being released into the environment so, all round, they’re something we should be looking to slowly phase out of our kitchens. Air-drying your clothes might seem like a more long and painful slog, especially at this time of year, but it’s far better for the planet, your back pocket and also the garments you’re washing. You may find that your clothes last far longer without the use of a tumble dryer.

8. Bleed your radiators

You may be tired of hearing about having your radiators bled at this time of year, but it’s the only way to rid them of air. Air can stop them from working efficiently, meaning you’ll be using the same amount of energy for not a lot of heat. If you bleed the air off, you’ll find that your radiators can fill up, and become hotter, more quickly than before. Once you’ve done it, you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t do it sooner.

9. Have your boiler serviced

Having your boiler serviced not only ensures its warranty, but it also makes sure that it’s in safe and fully-working order for as long as you need it over the winter period. It also enables it to work at its optimum efficiency, meaning you’re not wasting energy and money heating your home. It can be difficult to get a boiler service at this time of year, so if you have a few months to spare before the year is up, then be organised and book a boiler service as soon as you’re able.

10. Only set off your dishwasher if it’s full

Dishwashers are great inventions. It enables you to throw three or four days-worth of dirty dishes into it and within three or four hours it’s clean! Dishwashers are great water-saving appliances. It means that you’re not running several bowls of hot water everyday to wash the dishes. You can put everything in the dishwasher and set it off three days later, without having used any water in the sink. You do, however, need to make sure that the dishwasher is full before setting it off, and make sure it’s on the ‘eco’ setting, if it has one.