Top energy saving home improvement ideas

Lighting can set the tone and feel of a room, with the ‘warm white’ colour temperature often preferred in living rooms. Similarly in bedrooms, softer lighting can be used to create a more relaxed vibe. Floor or table lamps can help you avoid using the ‘big light,’ and come in many styles depending on your taste.

Lighting is an easy way to make your home more energy efficient. If you replace all the bulbs in your home with energy efficient LED lights, you could reduce your annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 35kg in Great Britain (GB) and 35kg in Northern Ireland (NI). You’ll also save £40 a year in GB and £50 in NI on your electricity bills.

Need more inspiration? Read our blog series with lighting designer, Graham Festenstein, about how to get the best effects when switching to energy efficient lighting.

New rooms often have new devices. Whether you’re working from home more often or looking to invest in a larger TV, consider the energy efficiency of the products you use. For example, a laptop typically uses 85% less electricity than a desktop PC.

If you’re unsure of how much energy a device uses, check the energy label. This will show you the annual energy consumption of a product and its energy efficiency rating, so you can get a sense of how much energy it typically uses.

The best way to save energy and money on laptops and TVs is to lower the brightness setting where possible, and to switch them off completely when not in use. You can save around £45 a year in GB and £55 in NI just by turning your appliances off standby mode.

Need help choosing an energy efficient product? Read our blog post on energy labels and how they help you identify more energy efficient products

If you’re installing a new kitchen, why not upgrade your old appliances too? Today’s more energy efficient kitchen appliances will help cut your electricity bills. Whether it’s a new fridge, washing machine or microwave, choosing a more energy efficient model can also help you reduce your carbon emissions.

Don’t forget to check the energy label of any new products on your wishlist! And of course, remembering to switch your new appliances off standby when not in use can save you even more.

Note: we don’t advise switching off fridges or freezers as they need to stay switched on to prevent their contents from spoiling.

Like bedrooms and living rooms, choosing energy efficient lighting for your kitchen can help save money and reduce your carbon footprint. As well as replacing your old kitchen light bulbs with energy efficient LEDs, you can get specialist LEDs for cooker hoods and fridges.

Luxury, waterfall style showers are tempting, but there are water efficient options available which can feel just as luxurious. Some water efficient showers aerate the flow of water, using less water. You can also get showerheads that restrict water volume, giving you a more pressurised, massaging shower.

Having a four-minute shower can save the average home can save £60 a year in GB and £65 in NI on your energy bill.

Even if you’re a bath person, swapping a weekly soak in the tub with a four-minute shower can save £9 a year in GB and £10 in NI.

Draught-proofing is one of the most effective ways to save energy and money. For an estimated £250, professional draught-proofing of windows, doors, floors and skirting boards will save you £80 a year in GB and £95 in NI.

On a limited budget? Heavy, lined curtains are an affordable quick fix, helping to keep more heat in your home.

Making your doors and windows more energy efficient will reduce your energy bills and lower your carbon footprint. By installing A-rated double glazing to windows in an entirely single-glazed semi-detached gas heated property, you could save £140 a year in GB and £160 in NI.

Installing insulation can stop heat from escaping. Topping up roof insulation from 120mm to at least 270mm of insulation will help save you around £20 a year in GB and £25 in NI.

Did you know that about a third of all the heat lost in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls? Now’s the time to add some insulation. Most homes in the UK have cavity walls, and the gap can be filled with insulation. We estimate that insulating your cavity walls could save you around £240 a year in GB and £270 in NI.

If your budget stretches to some bigger home renovation ideas, consider installing solar panels.

These are the most common domestic renewable energy source in the UK and (once you’ve paid for installation) your electricity costs will reduce your electricity costs from the moment they’re installed.

You can save around £140 a year in GB and £180 in NI (based on a typical installation with occupants at home from 6pm).

You’ll also reduce your annual carbon dioxide emissions by 750kg in GB and 750kg in NI.

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you can even be paid for any surplus energy you export to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

If you live in Northern Ireland, get in touch with your energy supplier to see what export tariffs they might be able to offer you.

Heat pumps are an attractive longer-term, sustainable heating option. The most common heat pump for homes is an air source heat pump.

The impact on your energy bills will depend on several factors, including:

• what fuel you’re replacing
• the efficiency of your heat pump
• the design of your central heating system

Your carbon footprint will see an impressive drop, too. Replacing your old gas boiler with an air source heat pump, for example, will reduce your annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 2,300kg in GB and 3,300kg in NI.