Energy Saving Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent could save around £60 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time. You can reduce the amount of energy your existing boiler consumes by up to 40 per cent by controlling it with an efficient thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves. your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F. Insulate your hot-water tank & lag your pipes. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room. Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily. If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads. Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle). A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off! Use energy saving light bulbs*. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £45 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £70 over its lifetime if you're replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day. Avoid tumble drying – dry clothes outdoors when possible to save money and energy. Cover pots and pans when cooking – they will boil a lot quicker. Rechargeable batteries cost about twice as much as conventional ones but can be used hundreds of times. *Fitting energy saving light bulbs to all your property’s ‘fixed’ light fittings prior to an Energy Report, can in some cases make a rating difference of one band.