Energy saving facts and figures

Sometimes nothing beats cold, hard facts. With this in mind, we’ve scoured our brains and past blogs to collect as many energy saving costs and figures as we can think of! Hopefully some of these will get you thinking and help you make little changes to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Although some of the potential amounts saved may seem small, they could start adding up if you make more than one change.

A little disclaimer – these figures will vary depending on household usage, age/efficiency of appliances and tariffs. The costs given here are averages to give you a general idea.

Energy saving figures:

Heavy curtains can reduce heat loss through windows by 40%.
Laptops typically use 85% less electricity over the course of a year than desktop PCs.
The size of your TV screen makes a huge difference to its running costs. An A-rated 22″ LCD TV could cost as little as £4 to run over the course of a year. A 60″ TV will probably cost more than £30.
Washing up under a running tap could cost you up to £30 extra a year on your energy bills compared to filling a sink or bowl.
Turning your thermostat down one degree can save nearly £100 per year.
DIY draught-proofing of windows, doors and floorboards can save £25-35 a year on energy bills.
Eco kettles (which only boil as much as you need) can use 20% less energy than a conventional electric kettle.
Lighting makes up 10% of the average household’s electricity bill. Switching to LED bulbs uses 90% less energy than halogen bulbs.
The average person uses 150 gallons of water a day. Learn how to lower this figure here.
Installing external wall insulation can prevent up to 40% of heat loss from your home.
Just switching off lights when you leave the room could save upwards of £50 a year.
A 40°c wash uses a third less energy than a 60°c cycle and will usually wash just as effectively.
A water saving shower head can save a household of four £67 a year on gas and £100 on water bills if they have a water meter.
A fridge freezer can account for 5% of a household’s annual electricity bill. Defrosting it regularly will reduce how hard it has to work and can save £100 a year.
Each TV or computer left on standby is estimated to cost you 2p per hour.
A lot of heat released from the back of a radiator can be lost through an uninsulated solid wall. Radiator reflectors can reflect up to 95% of this ‘wasted heat’ back into the room. Even better, GreenAge readers can get an exclusive 20% discount using offer code TGA20.
A new gas boiler is about 25% more efficient than a 20 year old boiler – you could save up to £270 a year on bills by replacing it.
Cavity wall insulation could save £150 on heating bills per year.
Insulating your hot water cylinder could save approximately £150 a year. If your tank is already lined with factory foam, savings could amount to £20-30 a year. It will pay back in a year or less!
It has been calculated that we lose 4% of household heat through an uninsulated chimney. Try blocking it with a chimney sheep.