energy-saving tips
believe housing offers tips to save energy for customers who may be impacted by the increase of household energy bills.
tips to help save energy
believe housing is working towards making customers’ homes warmer and more energy efficient – helping you to save energy and reducing our impact on the environment as part of our green pledge.
Energy usage
Get a smart meter to track your energy consumption with real-time information. They send automatic meter readings to suppliers (so you only pay for what you use instead of getting estimated bills) and display usage in pounds and pence (to help you identify where you can save electricity).
Please contact your energy supplier for more info.
Warmth without waste
Almost half of an average energy bill comes from heating and hot water usage. Turn your heating down by 1˚C if it is comfortable to do so to save energy – maintaining a steady 18˚C is better for you and your property's health than turning the up and down.
Hot water
Hot water needs to be hot but never scalding. For most people the cylinder thermostat set at 60˚C is fine for bathing and washing.
Standby
Avoid leaving devices like TVs and games consoles on standby and don’t charge mobile phones unnecessarily. This energy-saving tip will save electricity.
Bright idea
Always turn off lights when not required and open curtains or blinds to allow in as much daylight as possible.
Shut out the cold
Close curtains at dusk to stop heat leaking through windows, tuck curtains behind radiators and use draught excluders on external doors.
Keep it clean
Fill your washing machine, tumble drier, or dishwasher, as one full load uses less energy than two half loads. Wash clothes at a lower temperature, and if you wash up in the sink try a washing up bowl.
Just the cuppa
Only heat the amount of water you really need in the kettle. You can do this by filling the mug with water for as many cuppas as you need, rather than adding it straight to the kettle.
Water way
More than a quarter of water used in the home is in the shower – try taking shorter showers by only staying in there for the time it takes to sing your favourite song.
Northumbrian Water provide water-saving kits that can include a shower timer.
Big purchases
When buying a new appliance, if you can afford it, choose one with a high energy-efficiency rating to save energy, and save money in the long term.
in need of additional support?
Our energy-saving tips are designed to help you manage your bills more efficiently. But if you feel your home is cold, you're struggling with the bills, or you want to reduce your home’s carbon footprint, talk to us.