Time to bust some energy myths! A recent survey of UK householders showed that a shocking 50% think it’s cheaper to leave their home heating on all day than turning the heating on or off and up or down when required. That’s simply not true. According to the Energy Savings Trust,

“For the majority of householders leaving your room thermostat on all day at a lower temperature will not only mean that your home will never be at a comfortable temperature but it will also waste heat when you do not need it. Room thermostats turn the heat on and off when your home reaches the set temperature that you feel comfortable at. Combine this with a timer control that tells your heating system to come on only when you need it to save money on your energy bills.”

Or even better, use Heat Genius to schedule each room to come on only when you need it, and save even more money on your energy bills! Even though a typical system will cost a few hundred pounds, we reckon it’ll easily pay back for itself in 2-3 years – and go on to save thousands of pounds in its lifetime.

The Energy Saving Trust also say that the UK could collectively save nearly £4.4 billion on energy bills if we all take three simple energy saving actions at home:

• Turn it off – Make sure you turn your lights, appliances and chargers off when you’re not using them. Virtually all electrical and electronic appliances can safely be turned off at the plug without upsetting their systems.
• Turn it down – Many households have their central heating set higher than they need, without even realising it. If it’s too warm inside, try turning your room thermostat down by one degree and see if you are still at a comfortable temperature. Every degree that you turn it down will make additional savings to your heating bill.
• Let there be light – Households can now get LED spotlights that are bright enough to replace halogens, as well as regular energy saving bulbs (‘compact fluorescent lamps’ or CFLs) for pretty much everything else. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fittings and can save households money on their energy bills.

Mind you, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised how many easy opportunities there are to save energy when the same survey revealed that only slightly more than half (54%) know that turning a thermostat up higher doesn’t make your home heat up faster! Let’s spread the knowledge, by sharing this post and other ways we can all cut our energy bills and our carbon footprints.