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Tips on Energy Saving in the Home

1. Save energy
Being energy efficient can cut as much as £250 off your annual energy bill and reduce your household's carbon dioxide emissions by around two tonnes, according to the Energy Saving Trust. There are all kinds of simple measures you can take, from buying low energy light bulbs to improving your insulation.

2. Reuse and recycle
By reusing and recycling more, in the long term you could save yourself money as well as cutting methane, a greenhouse gas from landfill sites that contributes to climate change.
The tax that local councils pay to dump rubbish in landfill sites is rising sharply, so your council tax bill could go up as a result. Recycling saves money and reduces carbon emissions.

Cash boosting tip

• Buy rechargeable batteries to reduce waste in landfill. Once you've paid for a charger, AA rechargeables work out at less than 1 per cent of the cost of disposables (about 0.06p an hour versus 11p an hour), according to expert magazine, Which?
• Use real nappies instead of disposables and save up to £500 a year (Check Surrey Heath's website for the Real Nappy Campaign).

Surrey Heath's website has updated information on recycling and re-use to help minimise waste going to landfill..

3. Compost

Why spend money on garden compost when you can make your own for nothing? Collect up all your fruit and vegetable peelings, garden trimmings and grass clipping, place in a compost bin and in around a year you'll have compost.

It's completely free, you'll be reducing waste going to landfill and you'll make your own garden grow better!

Cash boosting tip
If the average compost bin has a 330 litre capacity, you'll save £33 for each binful based on a typical retail cost of £1 per 10 litres. And if you fill 2 bins, that's £66!
Surrey Waste - Compost Opens in a new window

4. Cut food waste
The amount of food we throw away is a major contributor to the production of greenhouse gases. In the UK we throw out £10 billion worth of potentially edible food a year, according to a report by WRAP in May 2008. The Food we Waste Opens in a new window

So shop carefully to cut down on waste and save yourself money. Use your food waste container each week - the waste is composted.

Cash boosting tip
Buy only as much as you need, batch cook and freeze, check use-by dates and use up leftovers. The average household throws away £420 worth of potentially edible food each year. And it's more if you have children - £610!

5. Grow your own
Even a window box can yield a crop of herbs, cress or garlic, and larger gardens can be turned over to all kinds of fruit and vegetables that will not cost you a penny!

And better still, back gardens and allotments absorb the greenhouse gas CO2, helping to combat climate change - So keep gardening.

Cash boosting tip
Grow your own and you could save around £1.50 a kilo (apples); £4 a kilo (spinach); £15-£20 a kilo (organic blueberries).

6. Save water
If you don't already have one, installing a water meter could help you save water and money.
The UK has less available water per person than most other European countries, with the lowest rainfall, groundwater and reservoir levels for decades. Each of us uses about 150 litres of water every day, which simply isn't sustainable in the long term. Try putting your washing up water on the garden - re-use of 'grey' water is good.

Cash boosting tip
The Environment Agency says fitting a meter could save you up to 15% of your water bill each year.
Download Ofwat's Meter Savings Calculator here to find out how much you could save.View the Surrey Heath websiteon Water Supply Companies which includes some useful tips on water saving.