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Reducing energy bills

Air conditioning

On a hot night, when you're tempted to use air-conditioning, switch off electrical appliances such as TVs, stereos and DVDs. They generate heat and will add to your discomfort. A cool quick shower before bedtime will also help you to sleep.

Freezing cold

Make sure your freezer is energy efficient, by checking the door seals are working and not leaving the freezer open for long periods of time. Defrost regularly and make sure it's positioned away from any hot appliances in your home. Replacing your old freezer with an energy efficient one could save you money on your bills.

Showers

Turn it down

To save energy, set your hot water thermostat to 60C/140F.

Have a refreshing shower instead of a bath. Although, a power shower can use more water than a bath! A five minute shower uses 35 litres of water, compared to a bath that uses 80 litres - this can save over 300 litres of water a week. Fit a flow restrictor to the shower and restrict flow to six litres a minute for optimum flow and water saving. Suitable for mains or power showers.

Toilets

The humble toilet accounts for a third of total domestic water consumption, we are literally flushing money down the pan every time we flush. To cut consumption, reduce the number of times you flush. A number of water-saving items can be ordered through the Thames water website.

Fitting a save-a-flush (a bag of harmless crystals) in your toilet cistern can save up to one litre per flush giving a saving of nearly 2,000 litres per person per year. Installing a hippo (designed to work in toilet cisterns with a nine litre flush or greater) can save up to three litres a flush - amounting to 5,000 litres per person per year.

With increasing water prices and declining rainfall, if you are about to renovate your bathroom, you might consider installing a water-saving loo. Find out more about eco-friendly products and where you can buy them.

Watering the garden

A drought could still be upon us! So water your garden with a watering can. A watering can uses nine litres of water whereas a sprinkler uses 540 litres per hour. To conserve water, use a mulch such as bark to cover the bare soil between plants, this will reduce evaporation as will watering early morning and towards dusk