Britons are being urged to plug gaps in doors and tweak boiler settings to curb soaring energy bills, amid fears of power blackouts this winter.
Months after other European leaders made similar announcements, in November the UK government committed to a multimillion pound public information campaign offering “simple, low or no-cost actions” to bring about “big savings”.
It followed growing pressure from campaigners and environmentalists who said small changes to lower demand would boost energy security, lower bills and limit emissions, benefitting the climate.
The government has now unveiled its initiative called It All Adds Up, which outlines “straightforward” steps to cut energy use immediately, “while ensuring people are able to stay safe and warm this winter”.
– Turning appliances off at the socket could save you up to £70 a year, as most electrical appliances, such as computers and video game consoles, draw power continuously unless unplugged.
– Washing clothes at a lower temperature could save you up to £40 a year. Changing from 40°C to 30°C means you could get 3 cycles instead of 2 using the same amount of energy.
– Closing all your curtains and blinds at night can help stop warm air escaping through windows and reduce heating costs.
– Turning down radiators in rooms you aren’t using or use less could save you up to £70 a year. When you’re not using rooms, turn radiator valves down to between 2.5 and 3, which is more efficient than turning them off completely.
– Turning your combi boiler flow temperature down to 60°C could save you up to £100 a year.
– Use your tumble drier wisely. Can you dry clothes outside instead? If not, ensure you have a full load, around three-quarters of the drum.
“No one is immune to rising energy bills this winter,” said Business Secretary Grant Shapps, who appeared in a promotional video in which he battles an elf.
“So it’s in everyone’s interest to use every trick in the book to use less energy while keeping homes warm and staying safe,” he added.
Mr Sunak’s predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson resisted calls to launch a public information campaign, with Ms Truss ditching a similar plan amid fears it would be too “nanny state”.
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Germany and the Netherlands asked their citizens back in April to start saving energy, while Denmark in June launched its “Én ting er sikkert. Og det er grønt” electricity saving campaign, which translates as “One thing is certain. And it is green”.
The £18m UK initiative will feature adverts and more detailed information on the gov.uk website.
The government’s energy saving drive is part of its long-term plan to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030, compared with 2021 levels.
It has also committed funding to upgrade energy efficiency and insulation in homes.
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