How much can you really save by following the most popular energy-saving tips?

We’ve all heard that you can save money by not leaving appliances on standby or overfilling the kettle. But does it really make that much difference? Is it worth getting out of your nice, warm bed to run back downstairs when you realise you haven’t switched the TV off at the wall?

To find out, we’ve turned to the Energy Saving Trust to get the lowdown on the cold hard cash you’re likely to save if you follow some of the most popular energy-saving tips.

Here’s what we discovered:

Switching appliances off standby – save £60 a year

Okay, it seems it might be worth braving the cold and getting out of bed to turn off the TV at the wall. By switching appliances off standby, you’re looking at a saving of around £60 a year.

Draught-proofing gaps – save £105 a year

This is one of the biggest savings you can make. If you deal with all the gaps around doors, windows, floors and chimneys, you could save about £105 a year on your heating bill.

Obviously, professional draught-proofing can be costly (around £250), but there are things you can do yourself to make your home less draughty. Find more information on draught-proofing.

Turning off lights – save £25 a year

We don’t want to sound like your dad (“It’s like Blackpool illuminations in here!”) but turning off lights when you leave a room could save you around £25 a year. That would pay for a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach… Okay, maybe not. But still, it’s not to be sniffed at.

Washing at 30°C and reducing the number of loads - save £30 a year

Save around £30 a year by:

• using the 30°C setting on your washing machine
• reducing the number of washes you do a week by one for a year

Don’t even think about using the tumble dryer – save £60 a year

Switching to a clothes horse could save you £60 a year. It does make your towels crispy though, doesn’t it?

Quick showers – save £75 a year

Limiting your shower time to four minutes could save the typical household £75 a year. Opt for a cold shower and you could save even more *shiver*.

Ditch the baths – save £17 a year

No, we’re not suggesting you don’t wash. But by swapping one bath a week for a four-minute shower, you could save £17 a year.

Don’t overfill the kettle and fit an aerator - save £37 a year

We all know about not overfilling the kettle but fitting an aerator on the kitchen tap was a new one on us. Apparently, it reduces the amount of water coming out without affecting how it washes or rinses. They’re easy to fit and pretty cheap and by doing this and remembering not to overfill the kittle, you could save around £37 a year.

Fill the dishwasher – save £15 a year

No half loads! Cutting out one dishwasher run a week for a year could save you about £15 over the course of 12 months.

Insulate your hot water cylinder – save £50 a year

By insulating your hot water cylinder, you could save yourself around £50 a year. You may already have a thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, but increasing it to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick could make all the difference.

*These figures were correct as of October 2023 based on a typical three-bedroomed, semi-detached in England, Wales or Scotland on a standard energy tariff paying by Direct Debit.

See what savings you could make if you live in Northern Ireland.