Octopus customers waking up to £621 discount on their energy bill
Octopus is handing energy customers £621 to make changes ahead of January. The energy firm spoke out ahead of Christmas having "pulled together some of the quickest, simplest and most effective things you can do to save energy around the house."
These tips have helped Octopus customers save over £5 million on their bills last Winter, and the average home that tried them out in our Winter Workout challenge slashed their bill by 12 per cent, the energy firm - which is rivalled by Ovo, EDF, E On and more - said.
Explaining how customers can save £621, Octopus said: "Set your boiler’s flow temperature between 55 and 60 degrees. You could save: £65. Your boiler’s flow setting controls the water temperature when it leaves your boiler. Its default setting is usually too high. Turn it down a bit and your home will feel just as warm, but you could cut your energy bills by 12% and save up to £65 according to Nesta.
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"Air dry, don’t tumble dry. You could save: £50. Ditching the tumble dryer and drying your clothes on a washing line or clotheshorse could save you £50 a year according to the Energy Savings Trust. Avoid drying clothes on radiators – this makes your boiler work harder.
"Mind the gaps. You could save: £80. A continuous draught can quickly undo all the good work of your heating - essentially wasting energy. Identifying and plugging up draughts around doors, windows and other gaps can help trap warmth in and make your gas spend go further.
"Control your thermostat. You could save: £145. Tweaking your thermostat (using it as an on/off switch or boost for example) can mean more energy is wasted - you’ll be comfier and use your energy more efficiently if you set it and leave it on for when you need it. Setting your thermostat to somewhere between 18-21°c is ideal, and turning down the temperature by just 1 degree could save up to £145 on your energy bill.
"Put an insulation jacket on your hot water tank. You could save: £40. To reduce heat loss and therefore keep your hot water hotter for longer, add a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick to your hot water cylinder and you could save £40 a year in the process. Exposed hot water pipes can also be insulated using a foam tube that covers the pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler.
"Switch off standby. You could save £45. Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without disrupting their programming. This could save you £45 a year. Reduce your shower time. You could save: £60. Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £60 a year!
"Be bright with your lights. You could save: £136. Lighting makes up around 11% of a typical power bill. LEDs use 70-80% less electricity – so when it's time to replace those bulbs, go LED."