Be energy efficient

Visit ‘Help for Households’ - Energy saving tips for quick and easy no-cost actions.

Top tips to reduce your energy bills and cut your carbon emissions

  • Get free smart meters installed by your electricity and gas suppliers so that you can clearly see where and when you’re using energy at home and help identify where you can save energy and money.
  • Significantly reduce heat loss and lower your heating bills by insulating your walls, roof, and floor.
  • Help keep your home warm and cosy by fitting better controls to your boiler and radiators, such as timers and thermostats.
  • Conserve your hot water by insulating your pipes and cylinder, taking a shower instead of a bath, and using a dishwasher or basin to wash up in rather than a running tap.
  • Switch to a renewable or ‘green’ energy tariff - in terms of potential carbon saving, switching to a renewable electricity tariff is probably the simplest and most effective thing you can do.
  • Improve the draught proofing in your home - don’t lose precious heat through your roof, chimney, floors, windows and doors.
  • Switch to LED lighting if you can. Lighting typically accounts for 15 per cent of household energy costs.
  • Turn appliances off standby - a smart meter will show you which appliances use the most electricity. In most cases, appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming.
  • Wash and dry wisely - put a wash on during the day and hang it outside or use an airer rather than using a tumble dryer. Try washing your clothes at 30 degrees to reduce the amount of energy you use too.
  • Only boil enough for your brew - kettles use about six per cent of all the electricity supplied to British homes! Make sure you only boil the amount of water you need and descale your kettle more regularly as it will use more energy to boil the same amount of water if it’s full of limescale.

Worried about fuel bills?

  • The Warmer Homes programme aims to raise the energy efficiency of low income and low energy performance homes. Funding is available (for eligible households) for energy efficiency measures such as:
    • roof, underfloor, wall and park home insulation
    • air source heat pumps
    • solar panels
    • storage heaters
    • heating controls.
  • The Energy Saving Trust website has a good introduction to the simple, low-cost ways to reduce home energy consumption. It includes savings estimates and links to other resources if you want to learn more about making your home more energy efficient.
  • Our West Sussex Affordable Energy website has details of home energy advisors, heating and insulation grants and other support within your district or borough council area.
  • Our West Sussex Wellbeing site also provides advice to residents on keeping warm and saving energy at home.
  • The Citizens Advice West Sussex Energy Advice Service is a good place to start if you need help with your energy costs and want advice on local and national financial support, dealing with energy debt and making your home more energy efficient.
  • Residents who are on a low income and vulnerable to the cold could also be eligible for support through the council-endorsed Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) scheme. By meeting the broad eligibility criteria you can qualify for energy saving advice and energy saving measures, such as LED light bulbs and draught proofing. LEAP advisors can also help you to access other support, such as grants for central heating if you don’t already have it, a replacement scheme for white goods and help to repair or replace a broken or condemned boiler.