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Making your home more energy efficient can be challenging if you’re renting, especially if you can’t make changes to the property.
But there are still plenty of quick, free or low-cost ways to improve the energy efficiency of your rented home. Most of these tips won’t need landlord permission either, helping to save you money on your energy bills quickly.
If you’re able to, speak to your landlord about making bigger improvements to your property, such as:
- Professional draught proofing
- Installing home insulation
- Installing heating controls
Here are our nine top tips to save money on energy while you’re renting:
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01
Switch off appliances and avoid standby
You can save around £45 a year in Great Britain (GB) and £55 in Northern Ireland (NI) just by turning your appliances off at the plug.
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02
Turn off and upgrade your lights
Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £7 a year in GB and £9 in NI.
Want to save even more? Make sure all the bulbs in your home are energy efficient LEDs and save up to £40 a year in GB and £50 in NI.
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03
Use your washing machine less and wash at 30°C
You can save around £12 a year in GB and £15 in NI just by using your washing machine more carefully. Wash at 30°C instead of higher temperatures and reduce your washing machine use by one run per week
Use the ‘eco mode’ on your washing machine to save even more.
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04
Ditch the tumble dryer
Dry clothes on racks inside in a well-ventilated room if possible. If you have space outdoors, line dry your clothes.This could save you save £50 a year in GB and £60 in NI.
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05
Avoid overfilling the kettle
Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen, but it’s easy to boil more water than you need. Avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £10 a year in GB and £12 in NI.
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06
Fill your dishwasher
Only run your dishwasher when it is full to cut the amount of energy you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £12 in GB and £15 in NI. It’s also a good tip to save water.
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07
Block out draughts
If there’s a gap at the bottom of your door, block it with a draught excluder – you can even make one stuffed with used plastic bags or bits of spare material. For windows, heavy curtains can make a real difference to how much heat is lost during the winter. And in the summer, blinds can help keep rooms cooler, so you don’t need to use a fan!
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08
Fit radiator reflector panels
Radiator reflector panels are like strips of foil you tuck behind the radiator to bounce heat back into the room. These go behind radiators that are on any uninsulated external walls. You can buy them from your local DIY shop and install them yourself, but check with your landlord first. They could save you around £25 a year in GB and £25 in NI.
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09
Understand your boiler
Understanding how your boiler works and how to set it correctly could help you to reduce your heating bill. If you have a thermostat, turning it down from 22 to 21 degrees could lower your heating bills by a whopping £90 a year in GB and £100 in NI.
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