Tell E.ON what your energy saving tips are - an iPad Air to be won! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at E.ON to find your best energy saving tips - relating specifically to gadget use. This comes following new research from E.ON has uncovered that UK parents now spend almost £300 per household on gadgets for their kids each year.

E.ON know that with technology playing an increasingly significant role in family life – from helping the kids with their homework to listening to the latest music – there’s rarely a time when a gadget isn’t on the go. However, their research shows that under half of parents (44%) consider the impact their gadget use could be having on their energy bills.

That’s why E.ON is working with Mumsnet to highlight their Saving Energy Toolkit, which enables E.ON customers to monitor how much energy their family is using – and compare it to similar homes in their local area. E.ON’s research found that eight in 10 parents find gadgets useful in running their households.

The E.ON Saving Energy Toolkit also contains tips to save energy, and they are now keen to know more about the ways parents stay savvy with their energy use. Whether it’s getting the family to watch TV together – so multiple devices aren’t used in one go, or ways to incentivise children to turn off their bedroom lights, E.ON want to know how your family uses no more energy that it needs to. What are your tips to save energy? Please share them on this thread.

Everyone who posts a tip on this thread will be entered into a prize draw, where one winner will receive an 16GB iPad air worth £399.

Please note your comments may be included on E.ON’s social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

P.S. Please click here for the terms and conditions of this thread.

When you're thinking of getting a new electrical device, do a bit of research and get the most energy efficient model - this could save a lot over the lifetime of the device.

Try turning the temp down on your water heater/tank. You may be surprised that you don't notice the change in temp, but the bills go down.
Teach the children to turn things off right from the start
Put on a jumper rather than automatically putting the heating on or up

Wash the car at the local petrol station using the forecourt's own soapy water and squeegee - even better to do it just before it rains to wash the soap off.

Turning lights off when we leave rooms, its a simple tip but the energy savings add up over the year.

Use the timer on you heating/hot water set the hot water to come on at cheap rates times,if you have a back boiler turn down the back boiler setting which will use less gas .

Go with British Gas!

One of my 4 yr old daughter's chores is to switch her bedside light off in the morning when she gets up (a little nightlight with energy saving bulbs). She also helps hang out the washing and collects it back in and is brilliant at recycling - putting the paper, tins etc into the correct bucket(s) and knows why she needs to - to help heal the planet mummy!

Lights off when not in rooms,
Several layers before heating on,
Heating only on for short periods when people are in (!),
Taps off when brushing teeth.

Our runke drier is broken, we decided as a family to maximise washing line use and use a washing hanger indoors instead to save buying a new one and save on electricity

Before running a kitchen appliance (like a washing machine or dishwasher) that has a hot water feed, run the kitchen tap until hot water comes out, so the hot water is already flowing when the appliance starts filling up. Hopefully your boiler is more efficient than the appliance, so you'll save money as well as saving time waiting for the appliance to heat the water itself.

Some appliances only have a cold water feed, you should be able to check yours by looking at the pipes under the kitchen sink, or check the manual.

Our main tip is to not use the central heating unless its unavoidable!

So plenty of layering, wooly slippers, blankets if we are sitting watching a family film etc.

We also make use of draught excluders which improved things massively.

Eat out - saves on water, electricity and gas!

We only have one TV which is in the living room, so we watch things together. It is turned off when not in use, not left on standby.

We also have a family iPad, although I am sure that will change as our children get older! This is charged overnight to save electricity.

In terms of general energy saving, we close curtains at dusk in winter and have a door curtain at the front door to keep heat in and draughts out. Blankets and jumpers are used before the heating goes on and heat holder socks are great for warming us all up!

Don't leave mobile items charging longer than necessary.
Keep the central heating off as long as possible, jumpers and blankets can be used if you're cold.
Keep showers as short as possible.
Dry clothes in sun as much as possible rather than using a tumble dryer.

Do I need it on - No - Turn it off

We always turn off everything (lights and plugs!) before we go to sleep. You'd be surprised at how much you can save by just switching your tv off from the plug at night.

Jumpers on in the house in winter.
Timed showers!

We have time limits set on gadget access to the internet. They can only access between certain times, which limits the amount of time they spend on them, and so then also the amount of energy used by them playing them!

Set your washing machine to 30C, use a bowl to wash up rather than leaving hot water tap running, boil the amount of water you need instead of full kettle..x

My washing dries on an airer, then I put them in the tumble dryer for 20mins to fluff them up.
Only put the heating on when absolutely necessary. Sometimes you get used to a certain temperature, then become complacent about the heating. Wear lots of layers and try to get used to a lower temperature in the house.
Make sure you check your provider's website for the best deals, and fix your rate, if you can.

-One of my main pains with the kids..turn of the lights !!,
-Make sure all the power points are off, even when nothing plugged in,
-Turn TV's off @ the wall ( not on standby ),
-Make sure everything is turned off at the wall when not in use.
-Make sure all Phone adapters are off at the wall, when not charging. (same for Laptops)
-Always boil water in kettle that I am going to use for cooking.

If it doesn't need to be on turn it off.

Dry clothes on airer or on line.

Wash at 30.

Only turn heating on when absolutely necessary.

We have the boiler set on Eco which has reduced the bills.Also we have a snuggly throw over the settee during winter months which is so much cosier.