Our gas saving tips below have been tried and tested by 250,000 Octopus Energy customers during the Octopus Winter Workout. Over the 12 weeks, active customers cut their typical gas use, and on average, saved 12% of their bill – collectively saving £4.8 million on their Winter gas bills!! So, how did they do it?..
Heat your body, not the whole house.
Heating a whole home costs between £2-4 a day which can rack up quickly over winter. Items such as an energy-efficient electric blanket can heat a person for just 4p an hour and a hot water bottle even less. Heating the person alongside tactically using the heating (at a slightly lower temperature and at specific times) is a vastly more cost-effective way to stay warm: particularly for people with mobility issues, for example, and spend a lot of time in one spot.
Reduce the temperature of your water.
Most of us waste gas heating the hot water for our taps to 60c, only to cool it down again by mixing it with cold water when we want to use it for showers or baths. But how hot do we need the water to clean our dishes?
At 60c, hot water can cause serious scalding in under 5 seconds. However, for water to be hot enough to kill the bacteria or other nasties on your plates, it would need to be over 75c, and the dishes would need to soak for at least 30 seconds.
So, when washing dishes by hand, you only need water hot enough to loosen grease and oils, which is generally around 30-40c. Your dish soap will do the job of lifting bacteria from the surface of your dishes so they are swept away with the water.
Disinfect your sink regularly so it doesn’t become a home for bacteria.
Set timers for your heating.
Turning your heating off when it’s not needed is a quick way to save. The trick is to set your heat to come on 30 minutes before it’s needed, and shut off 30 minutes early as well – so the room can heat up and you make the most of residual heat. See what moneysavingexpert has to say on this topic.
Check your radiators and stop heating unused rooms.
Turn off radiators in unused rooms to save wasting energy where it is not needed. Don’t forget to also keep the doors of unused and unheated rooms closed – a cushion draught excluder can also be used at the base of the unused room’s door.
Here are some ways to make your radiators more energy efficient:
- Move any objects obstructing your radiators such as sofas and curtains as radiators need space to heat your rooms.
- Clean your radiators by removing dust build-up using a vacuum and radiator duster (~£5). Dust that builds up between the fins of radiators makes them less efficient. If you have radiator covers, here’s a guide on how to remove them so you can access the radiator fins.
- Don’t forget to bleed your radiators as trapped air also reduces their efficiency. If there are cold spots on your radiators, it’s a sign they need bleeding. Here’s a tutorial on how to bleed your radiators.
- Adding a shelf positioned just above your radiator helps to push the heat forward into the room, rather than letting it rise to the ceiling. You can find easy to install, clip-on shelves in most hardware/DIY shops.
- You can also use a radiator fan to distribute the warmth into the room quicker.
- Use radiator reflector panels behind your radiators (most effective on radiators located on external walls) so the wall doesn’t absorb all the heat.
- Smart radiators: If you want to spend a bit more, get smart radiator valves so you can control your heating room by room.
Heat your cooking water with electricity.
If you’ve got a gas hob, heat your water with electricity – it’s quicker and uses less gas to get it boiling with a kettle or a microwave first.
