Household energy bills increased once again in April 2025, prompting many UK households to find ways to use less energy.
Turning down the boiler’s temperature or heating the home for fewer hours is a way to use less energy, but there are many less obvious ways to save energy. Here are three of them that may not decrease the bills by a lot, but as the saying goes, “every little helps.”
Unplug laptops
Laptops are often left in standby mode instead of being switched off. A laptop uses about 3W of electricity an hour on standby, which could cost about eight to nine pounds a year. Leaving a laptop plugged in can also shorten its battery life.
Don’t overcharge phones
Phone chargers left plugged in use a small amount of electricity. An iPhone charger for instance uses about 0.25W an hour which costs less than a pound a year. If you use a cheap non-Apple made charger, this can increase power consumption by about 10%. Unplug all phone chargers when not in use.
Leave fridges on
It is unwise to switch off your fridge and freezer even though they can cost several hundreds of pounds a year to run. Dust can accumulate on fridge condenser coils which means more energy is needed to work properly. Periodically wipe down the coils at the back of the fridge. Keep the door seals clean. This will prevent energy wastage and reduce bills.
An inefficient boiler also wastes energy. Book an Xgas boiler service in your Chester or North Wales home that includes a boiler energy efficiency check.
