Energy Saving Tips for Pensioners | Fair for You

With the seemingly constant rising costs of energy bills, it’s understandable that you may be anxious about saving energy. However, there are a whole range of methods you can use to help save on energy and reduce your bills without having to live uncomfortably. We will share some quick and easy energy saving tips to help you save money. We’ll also discuss some bigger changes in your home for longer term savings.

Quick and easy energy saving tips

These tips involve small, simple lifestyle changes that you can start implementing right away to make a big difference in your energy costs. We have divided these tips into four key areas to help you find the perfect advice for your home: heating, appliances, water and lighting.

Heating Tips

Turn off the radiators in the rooms you don’t use. By switching off the radiators in the rooms you don’t use often (such as your spare room), you can drastically reduce your energy consumption.
Close doors to stop heat escaping from the rooms that you have the radiators switched on in. This helps to keep your room nice and toasty.
Only heat the rooms you use the most, such as your living room during the day and your bedroom in the evening.
Understand how your heating controls work. By understanding your heating system you can help optimise it for maximum comfort at minimal costs.
Keep radiators and heaters clear, as this helps the warm air circulate around the room much better.
Bleed your radiators. When air gets trapped inside the radiator it leaves cold spots at the top, making the heating system less efficient because you have to use more energy to get enough heat through the radiators. You can easily check if your radiators need bleeding by comparing the top to the bottom - if the top is cold but the bottom is hot then they most likely need bleeding.
Ensure your doors and windows are draught free. This helps to stop heat from escaping. To do this, you can fit draught proof strips and excluders around doors, seal gaps around window frames, and cover letterboxes and keyholes. If you are sealing windows however, make sure to leave a little ventilation to reduce risks of condensation.
Consider opting for an electric blanket - since they are smaller and only heating a small area around them, electric blankets can be a great cost-effective choice to keep you warm.
Once you’ve finished cooking, consider leaving your oven door open to help the residual heat circulate around the room whilst it cools down.
Regularly check up on your boiler to ensure that it’s working properly and efficiently. If it isn’t working properly, then it may be eating up more energy than needed.
Set your heating to only come on during the hours that you are awake, as it means that you are getting the full benefit of your heating.
Draw curtains and tuck them behind radiators to reduce loss of heat.

Appliance Tips

When buying new appliances, make sure to choose the ones that are the most energy efficient. The better the energy rating of an appliance, the less energy it uses, therefore reducing costs. You can now easily see the energy efficiency rating through a new system that was introduced in 2021 which clearly displays the ratings on a label of different appliances.
Turn off your appliances when you aren’t using them. Turning them fully off rather than leaving them on standby can make big differences in your energy costs, with some reports suggesting that the average UK household spends around £65 more per year. However, don’t turn off your fridge or freezer as this can impact the food inside.
Defrost your freezer every 6 months - it makes the freezer more efficient because it doesn’t have to work as hard.
Run your washing machines at a lower temperature. Everyday washes at 30°C use 40% less energy over the year compared to washing at high temperatures. This can result in massive savings.
Use the Eco setting on your washing machine and dishwasher.
Avoid using the tumble dryer when possible. Try to leave your clothes outside to dry or use a drying rack where possible to help you save.
Only run a dishwasher cycle when it’s full, as this ensures you get the most for your money.
Consider investing in a slow cooker or air fryer. It’s estimated that an air fryer uses approximately half the energy of a normal oven for the same amount of time spent cooking.

Water Tips

Take showers instead of baths if possible. A shower can use ½ the amount of water that is needed for a bath. If you need to take baths, don’t fully fill the tub as a full tub uses 80 litres of water. You could also try to implement one extra shower over a bath a week if you still want to take baths.
Fix dripping taps - a dripping tap can use up to ½ a bath’s volume of water in a week.
Only use the water you need; consider turning off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth or shaving. Fill up a bowl to wash dishes or fruit rather than washing every item under running water. When making hot drinks, only boil the amount of water you need instead of fully filling the kettle. When gardening, use a watering can instead of a hosepipe.
Consider washing dishes by hand rather than using a dishwasher.

Lighting Tips

Switch the lights off more when safe to do so - even if you are only leaving the room for a short time, getting into the habit of switching the lights off can help you save on energy. But always make sure that your stairs are still well lit when you’re using them.
Switch to LED bulbs. These are more energy efficient than traditional bulbs, helping you to save money.

Bigger changes for long term savings

These are more permanent solutions that may take some time, money and effort to implement, however they are perfect for bigger, long term energy savings.

Insulate your roof and attic space, as this helps to reduce heat loss in your home and save you money.
Insulate cavity walls. These are the spaces between the inner and outer layers of brick and insulating them can help your home feel much warmer.
Fill in cracks in skirting boards to help retain heat in the room.
Optimise your windows, as fitting double glazing can help reduce heat loss. If you are on a budget, consider only prioritising the windows of the rooms that you use the most.
Focus on improving the areas of your house that you use the most.
Ensure your floor is insulated to prevent heat escaping.

Other energy saving tips

Look for schemes and grants that can help you manage your energy costs or the costs associated with improving your home’s energy efficiency. Depending on where you live, help may be available for you. Check your local government's website for information.
See if there’s any help available from your energy supplier.
Consider implementing smart meters into your home, as smart meters can help you monitor your energy usage in real time so you can manage where your energy is going and ensure that you are not being overpaid.
Understand your energy usage. This can help you understand where you are using too much energy and where you need to use more energy. It can also help you when looking for the best deals for your home.

Fair for You - Helping Pensioners Save on Energy

At Fair for You, we are committed to helping everyone save on their energy and reduce their household costs. This article is just one part of a whole series that we have on our blog where we provide practical help and support to help you save money on your household bills.