Our Advice Centre is open today from 1:30 – 8:00pm
A guide to home energy, with the Environment Centre
Tips and information to help you heat your home and save money
There’s a lot to think about when you live independently, especially for the first time. Our friends at the Environment Centre (tEC) are specialists in home energy and have provided information in this resource to help you get set up with energy in your new home.
There’s also a glossary to accompany this, which you might find useful to understand what things mean.
If you’re living in a particularly cold or damp home or would like to find out more about making your home more energy efficient, please use the contact details below to contact the Environment Centre for support:
enquiries@environmentcentre.com
0800 804 8601
For more tips and advice, visit environmentcentre.com
What to do straight away
Read your meters
If possible, take a photo in case you need proof of your readings on the day that you moved in.
Find your gas and electricity supplier and submit your readings
You can find out who your supplier is by asking your landlord, estate agent, the previous tenant, or on Find My Supplier or SSEN Supplier Search. Then, submit your readings on your suppliers’ website, app or over the phone.
SSEN Supplier Search
If you have a pre-payment meter, contact your supplier straight away
This is so they can re-set your meter. You don’t want to end up paying someone else’s debt!
Check your tariff
Energy suppliers don’t usually put new customers on their cheapest tariff, so give them a call or contact them online to check if they have any cheaper tariffs available. Be careful of exit fees though, especially if you’re thinking about ending an agreement early.
Check whether your bills or statements seem accurate
For more on how to read your bills, see tEC’s information on their website.
Take me there
Want to pay less?
You may be able to find a better deal by visiting an OFGEM-accredited comparison site. You might need your landlord’s permission to switch supplier, so check your tenancy agreement first.
Managing your home
Familiarise yourself with equipment around your home
You might have a gas boiler with radiators, room thermostat, programmer and thermostatic radiator valves to locate. Or you may have storage heaters, and a hot water tank with an electric immersion heater. Or something different altogether!
Learn about your heating controls
Ask your landlord or estate agent to show you, or look for a manual. You can often find the manual for your heating controls online.
Experiment with the settings
You’ll need to learn how to warm and cool your home appropriately, depending on how and when you need your heating and hot water.
Controlling hot water
If you have a gas boiler with a hot water tank, you may have a hot water timer to set too. Most households only need the hot water on for 1-2 hours a day, so experiment to find the minimum time you need. The recommended temperature for a hot water thermostat is 60-65°C.
If you have storage heaters and an immersion heater, you’re most likely on a Time of use tariff. Most people leave their immersion heaters on the automatic ‘Timed’ setting, so it heats up water overnight using cheaper electricity.
You should have a ‘Boost’ switch, letting you top up on hot water if you run out during the day, using more expensive daytime energy. Make sure this isn’t left on when you don’t need it.
Top tips for speaking with suppliers
General
– Lots of suppliers offer live chat, WhatsApp messaging etc, so you may like to try this if you have a simple enquiry (but bear in mind that these online teams may not be able to help with complex queries).
– If you do call, you may find wait times are lower first thing in the morning.
– Check you’re calling the right number (e.g. if you have a pre-payment meter, search online for the number for pre-payment meter customers).
– Get your account number ready in case you need to input this or read it out.
– Always take notes, including the name of the person you’ve spoken to.
Making a complaint
– Always take notes of conversations, including the name(s) of advisors you’ve spoken to.
– Find out the company’s complaints process or procedure (e.g. timeframes and different escalation steps). You can often find this information on a company’s website.
– Ensure that you follow up on complaints and don’t let your supplier close it until you’re happy that the issue is resolved.
– If your supplier hasn’t met its obligations, you may be eligible for automatic compensation (for example, if they don’t show up for an arranged appointment or are late sending you a final bill/refund). Consider asking for a goodwill gesture. Speak to tEC if you’d like to find out more about this.
Top tips for saving money
Clothes
– Wait until you have a full load before doing the washing.
– Put washes on at 30°C.
– Avoid the tumble dryer unless your home is damp or mouldy.
Kitchen
– Don’t overfill the kettle.
– Use an air fryer, or try one-pot cooking on the hob.
– Batch-cook, then use the hob or microwave to heat up.
Keep the heat in
– Close your curtains when it gets dark.
– Make sure your heaters aren’t blocked by furniture.
– Draught-proof your windows (check with your landlord first).
Lights and appliances
– Change to LED lightbulbs.
– Turn off lights and appliances when not using them.
– When buying new appliances, choose smaller options with higher energy efficiency ratings.
Water
– Use a washing up bowl when washing up.
– Only use a full dishwasher, on the most efficient setting.
– Set a time limit for showers – can you manage 4 minutes?
– Use cold water when possible – like when rinsing vegetables.
– Fit water-efficient shower heads and tap aerators (check with your landlord first).
