New energy directives have been issued by campaigners, in a bid to improve domestic efficiency.
Turning home thermostats down by one degree Celsius cuts heating bills by ten percent, new analysis from the Energy Saving Trust has suggested.
The campaigners also said today that keeping tabs on hot water in the home is one of the key ways in maximising energy efficiency - and that proper regulation can lead to £300 of annual savings for the average household. If all UK homes followed the advice, the body claimed, a total of £962 million would be saved.
By way of comparison, this figure is larger than the government's entire recently-announced national autumn energy plan, for which £910 million will be spent. The scheme, unveiled earlier this month by Gordon Brown, includes a 50 percent discount on home insulation installation in UK homes.
Paula Owen, energy doctor at Energy Saving Trust, said: "You only need to heat main living areas to around 18 to 21 degrees Celsius - although it may need to be higher if there are young children, elderly or frail people in the house."
She added: "Check your hot water tank thermostat isn’t set too high, or it will be wasting money. It only needs to be at 60 degrees Celsius."
Figures from the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes claim that around £6.8 billion is wasted on energy in the UK every year.
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