PRESS RELEASE : Small changes mean energy advice campaign adds up to big savings [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 17 December 2022.

• ‘It All Adds Up’ energy saving campaign launched today by government with advice that could help UK households cut hundreds of pounds off their bills this winter
• Campaign features tips on simple, low or no-cost actions that households can take to immediately cut energy use and save money while ensuring people are able to stay safe and warm this winter
• Advice also available on longer-term measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes that can bring down bills not just this winter but in years to come

Simple advice, with no or very low-cost actions that households can take to reduce their energy use and bills this winter, is now available to the public under a new government information campaign being launched today.

The £18 million ‘It All Adds Up’ energy saving campaign will raise public awareness of straightforward actions that people can take to cut their bills by bringing down the amount of energy needed to keep their homes warm and stay safe this winter.

The guidance focuses on simple measures which are not already adopted by the majority of households in the UK. How energy use can be reduced may be different for each individual household, but simple measures in the campaign can offer significant financial savings this winter without reducing comfort or putting people’s health at risk.

The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign is being launched on a new website today and promotes some of the government’s top recommended actions to help households save money on their energy bills at no or little cost, including:

• reducing the temperature a boiler heats water to before it is sent to radiators (known as the boiler flow temperature) from 75⁰C to 60⁰C, which will not reduce the temperature of your home but could save around £100 annually
• turning appliances off at the plug, which could save approximately £70 per year
• reducing heating loss from the property such as putting draught excluders around doors or by adding clear film across windows, which could save around £60 a year

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

No-one is immune to rising energy bills this winter, so it’s in everyone’s interest to use every trick in the book to use less energy while keeping homes warm and staying safe.

For very little or no cost, you can save pounds. It all adds up, so I urge people to take note of the advice in this new campaign and follow the easy steps to cut your fuel bills.

Information on the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign can be found at a new GOV.UK website, which will run alongside the government’s wider ‘Help for Households’ campaign. The new energy saving campaign will feature adverts across TV, radio, digital platforms and on digital billboards, with a television advert rolled out in the coming weeks.

In addition to these simple tips, there is also advice on other actions that households can take to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, as well as further details of government funding schemes to improve the energy efficiency of households across the country.

The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign highlights longer-term energy efficiency upgrades, including installing loft and wall insulation or fitting double glazing, that people can make to their homes to save their energy use and bring down bills.

Richard Neudegg, director of regulation and policy at Uswitch.com said:

We know many households are actively looking to find safe ways to reduce their energy use to save on bills, and there are straightforward steps to take by making small changes at home. So we welcome renewed efforts to highlight practical tips that can make a real difference.

Keeping track of energy usage can help people understand what’s most driving their bills and help identify where to make changes. To support households, Uswitch has developed Utrack, a free app which can help people see exactly what they are using and highlight ways to save money.

Juliette Sanders, Director of Strategic Communications at Energy UK, said:

Energy UK welcomes the Government’s efforts in helping people to improve their energy efficiency. Many people are struggling to pay their energy bills and whilst additional support is available from both Government and energy suppliers, taking steps to cut down wasted energy will enable people to lower their bills immediately. We’re also pleased that advice on long-term energy efficiency measures is part of the campaign.

It’s essential that this goes hand in hand with policies that will enable delivery to as many homes as possible, and with the roll out of smart meters so people can manage their energy use, and use it at times it is cheapest.

Jonathan Brearley, the CEO of Ofgem, said:

I very much welcome the launch of the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign. We know from the analysis we’ve seen that even small things, such as turning off radiators in rooms that are not in use and adapting boiler flow, can have a big impact, not only on customer bills, but in boosting our wider security of supply.

This will complement Ofgem’s Energy Aware campaign, which provides information on ways to reduce energy use, cut costs, and points consumers towards financial schemes and other avenues of support that can help them through this difficult winter.

Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:

This winter, many people will be worried about how much they might have to spend to heat their homes. These tips should help cut down the cost of staying warm.

However, we know lots of people are living in cold, dark homes because they’re stretched to their limit and simply have nothing left to cut back on. If you’re in this situation, speak to your energy supplier or contact Citizens Advice for support. We’re here to help you find a way forward.

Making homes and businesses more energy efficient and so bringing down fuel bills is part of the Government’s wider long-term commitment, announced as part of the Autumn Statement, to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels.

Improving the energy efficiency of homes is the best long-term method of cutting household energy use and bringing down bills. That is why the government is accelerating the pace of upgrading the energy efficiency of housing with £6 billion of funding committed to 2028 in addition to £6.6 billion in this parliament.

A further £4 billion has been committed through ECO4 scheme, which is delivering home insulation measures to low income and more vulnerable households, and the £1 billion ECO+ scheme, which will install measures in households who have previously not been able to access support through the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

The ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign comes in addition to an unprecedented package of government support that is helping households meet their energy costs this winter, including the Energy Price Guarantee, saving a typical household over £900, the Energy Bills Support Scheme providing a £400 discount to millions and the most vulnerable receiving £1,200 each this year.

To publicise the launch of the new energy saving campaign website further, Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan held a roundtable meeting on Friday 16 December with energy suppliers and consumer groups.