Busting home energy saving myths

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Energy bills are constantly rising, so the phrase “every little helps” comes in handy more and more these days.

We’ve all heard the old tales like “turning appliances off at the wall will save you money”, and “always wait as long as possible before turning the heating on”. But is there any truth to them and would they really make a difference to our bank balance?

In this blog, we look at well-known home energy-saving myths, dispel them, and hopefully reduce your energy bills!

Jump to:

Is it cheaper to keep the heating on all day?
Should I leave the heating on all night in freezing weather?
Will turning appliances off save energy?
What are the benefits of solar panels and do they save you money?
Should I close the doors to “keep the heat in” and save energy?
Do sockets still use energy when chargers are left plugged in?

1. Is it cheaper to keep the heating on all day?

Some argue that keeping the heating on all day is cheaper. They believe it’s better to keep the heating on low to keep condensation at bay. However, we’re certain that this is a myth.

According to The Energy Saving Trust, if you have the heating on all day, energy will be used all day.

So, it’s important to turn the heating on only when it’s necessary, this will conserve energy as well as money.

Many energy providers and money-saving experts recommend installing a timer on your thermostat so that it can be turned on automatically and keep your home at a temperature you control.

2. Should I leave the heating on all night in freezing weather?

We’ve already established that leaving the heating on a low setting all day can prevent condensation.

Every time you turn the heating system on, it uses energy to evaporate any condensation that collects in the walls before it starts heating your home.

Condensation starts to form when the heating is turned off. This is why some energy providers and boiler experts recommend leaving the heating on a low setting all day.

So, if you go on holiday during the winter months, you should leave the heating on at a low setting to prevent frozen pipes.

Alternatively, you could use a thermostat timer to trigger the heating at the times that are usually the coldest.

Leaving your heating on all night in freezing weather or if you go on a winter break could save hundreds of pounds in future reparation costs, but it won’t save energy.

3. Should I turn appliances off to save energy?

We’ve all heard the saying “It’s like Blackpool Illuminations in here”.

Should we all be turning lights and appliances off to save energy?

The short answer is yes, this one isn’t a myth.

No matter how little time you turn your lights or appliances like the TV off, it’ll save energy.

However, there are exceptions to the rule. If you have a shower with a pull cord, it’s best to leave these on. The more you pull the cord, the more likely it is to break, resulting in repair costs.

4. What are the benefits of solar panels and do they save you money?

Typical domestic solar panels usually come with a big cost initially. Customers can pay thousands for the panels and installation.

However, they can do have many benefits, the main benefits include:

Energy bills reduced
After the initial installation costs are paid, you’ll start to save on your energy bills. Find out how much you could save by using an online solar panel savings calculator.

You could even get paid for any extra energy you generate through the government-backed Smart Export Guarantee incentive.

More eco-friendly
By choosing to power your home with renewable energy, you’ll be cutting your carbon footprint significantly. Depending on where you live, the average domestic solar panel system in the UK can save about a tonne of carbon per year.

5. Should I close the internal doors to “keep the heat in”?

This one is not a myth.

By closing an internal door, you’re more likely to keep the heat in that room and stop the cold from getting in.

If there’s a particular room you don’t want to heat, make sure you turn the radiator right down and close the door to this room, this will keep the heat out.

A higher majority of heat is actually lost through windows, rather than doors. So, it might be worthwhile buying heavy, thermal curtains to keep the draft out and the heat in during the winter months.

To control the heat in each room easily, most energy providers recommend installing thermostats in individual rooms.

6. Do sockets still use energy when chargers are left plugged in?

Ever wondered if devices on standby or chargers left plugged in still use power?

According to British Gas, they do.

Even though devices such as TVs and smart devices like Alexa are using small amounts of energy,

users should be sure to turn them off at the wall when they’re not in use.

Switching off at the plug won’t save you lots of energy or pounds straight away, but it does add up.

You could be saving around £60 per year.

In conclusion

Well now we know that saving energy could be as easy as turning a plug off at the wall or closing a door, we hope you can benefit from this.

If you believe that you’re just one person and that one person can’t make a difference, think again!

The more individuals that make an effort to save energy, whether it be to save the pennies, or help save the environment – it's worth doing.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog, head over to My Place to find other hints and tips to help around the home.