The kitchen is one area of the house that uses a lot of energy and knowing where to make small changes can be an excellent way to start lowering your energy bills.

You can save about £27.50 annually from your energy bill through the efficient use of your kitchen appliances:

Reduce your dishwasher use by just 1 cycle each week and you can save up to £10 annually on energy.
Reduce your washing machine use by just 1 cycle each week and you can save up to £10 annually on energy.
Fill the kettle with just the amount of water that you need and enjoy savings of up to £7.50 annually on energy.

Use the Right Size Pan and Be Water Conscious

Ensuring that you use an appropriately sized pan for the food that you are cooking means that you will avoid wasting energy while heating a larger surface area than you actually need. A larger hob also wastes energy while a pan that’s too large takes longer to get to the desired temperature.

Ensuring that you only use the amount of water required to cover the amount of food that you are cooking can also help you avoid wasting energy by heating the water that you don’t need. If you can cover the pan with a lid, this too can help with energy conservation.

Use Energy-Efficient Electric Appliances

Appliances such as dishwashers run on electricity rather than gas, which is why you should consider seeking out the most energy-efficient models to avoid spending more than you actually need to. As a general guide, you should look for models with an EU rating of A+++. See here tips to keep your boiler working efficiently.

Lower Your Washing Temperature

90 per cent of a washing machine’s energy is spent heating up the water, which means that if you wash clothes at 30°C (86°F) to 40°C (104°F), you will be saving a significant amount of money. While it might not be the best time of the year for it, air-drying your clothes is free and considerably less energy-intensive than using a tumble-dryer.

Beat the Bathroom Blues

Nobody wants to stop cleaning themselves or their clothes, but some small changes can have a positive impact on your yearly energy budget.

If you reduce your shower time by 1 minute, you could save £5 annually per person. If you’re a family of 4 and you replace your older inefficient showerhead with a model that’s water-efficient, you could enjoy savings of about £35 from your gas bills and about £60 from your water bills (if you have a water meter) annually.

Fitting tap aerators to sinks can also be a great way to save money. Fitting the tap aerators allows you to control the quantity of water flowing through your tap, reducing it by as much as 10 liters per minute while keeping the water pressure the same.

Still, it isn’t just about cooking and cleaning. We have also outlined several things that you may want to consider elsewhere around your home. For example, did you know that turning your thermostat down by just 1°C (33.80°F) can help you save up to £70 annually?

Switch Off StandBy

A lot of energy wastage occurs by leaving appliances that aren’t in use plugged in. You can save about £45 annually by remembering to turn off your devices’ standby mode. Today, you can turn off just about any electronic and electrical appliance at the plug and not upset its programming. Another effective option would be to get a standby saver that allows you to turn all your devices off standby in one go.

Smart Meter Installation

If your electricity supplier offers smart meters to customers such as yourself, you should consider installing one. If you are clearly able to identify where you are spending the most on energy, you can take steps to reduce your usage wherever possible and save money.

Charge at Night

If you’re on a night rate then you can use the cheaper electricity at night time to cut down on your power costs – perfect for charging cars, electrical goods, bikes and otherwise.

Use Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Lighting uses a lot of energy in your home. You can still use less energy if you invest in specific energy-saving light bulbs, which are readily available. You will not lose any light, and you will also save money. You should also remember to turn off the lights as you leave a room.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.