How to save money: These energy-efficient changes could save you £200 a year

You don’t need to make huge changes around the house to see a massive difference in your energy bills. From switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs, to buying a water-saving shower head, there are many ways you can watch the pennies – and the environment. MoneySuperMarket has shared their tips for the most readily available efficiency-improvers. Here is how much they could save you.

ENERGY-SAVING LIGHTBULBS

Fitting your home with energy saving bulbs would cost around £51.80 and could result in financial savings of up to £27.13 a month

This means they pay for themselves after two months.

LAGGING JACKETS

Spending just £15 to insulate your hot water tank could save around £1.67 each month on heating.

So your costs will be covered after nine months.

SOLAR OVENS

This type of appliance uses just the light of the sun to cook food, meaning no energy is required, and cost £188.64 on average.

However, this could save you £9.30 a month, so it will take a year and eight months to get your money back.

WATER-SAVING SHOWER HEAD

A water-saving shower head offers a lower flow rate compared to your conventional shower head.

Costing around £15.99, you could save 52 pence each month and this investment will be paid after two and a half years.

CAVITY INSULATION

This one will cost you the most, with an installation fee of £4,669.

But it could save over £10 a month on energy bills, so you will see a return after three years and seven months.

Making all these changes will cost an average of £762.59, offering roughly £6.92 in savings each month.

This means it would take nine years and two months to make your money back – still quicker and cheaper than buying expensive machinery to adapt your home.

The average setup cost of solar panels and wind turbines is £7,237.73 and despite the reduction in bills, would take 21 years and three months to pay off the installation.

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “Energy bills are one of the most significant regular payments made by any household, regardless of your living situation.

“If you’re looking to make some savings, you don’t have to make big changes to your home – simply switching to energy saving lightbulbs can be a good starting point.

“As a first step, it’s always worth reviewing your energy provider to see if you can save money without spending anything.

“Taking the time to search for a more competitive tariff can save you £250 a year or more.”