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Every year we as a nation waste hundreds if not thousands of pounds in electricity, this may be due to a lack of knowledge of how to reduce electricity usage or laziness. Whatever the reason may be, with the cost of living increasing and the cost of electricity rising once again in time for winter, it is time that we all learn to become more energy efficient.

Washing

Believe it or not but your washing machine and tumble dryer us more energy efficient with a full load.

Most modern washing machines have an eco-cycle, these are designed to use less water and less electricity than the traditional daily programmes, therefore saving you money.

All lightly soiled clothes should be washed at 30oC, by doing this you could save £10 a year.

Your tumble dryer is possibly the most expensive household appliance, see our guide here, therefore it is important to not over-use it. If it is winter and you have the heating on then you should hang your clothes on a clothes horse and make use of the household heat. In the summer you should make the most of our rare sunny days and hang your clothes on a washing line.

Reducing the use of your tumble dryer by a quarter could save you £20 a year.

Cooking

Think about how you cook you food… if you have an electric hob and cook all of your Sunday roast vegetables in separate pans, you could save up to £25 a year by switching to an electric steamer.

Ensure that you correctly follow the cooking guidelines and set the correct temperature on your oven. If you food has been defrosted then it will take less time to cook and will therefore be cheaper.

When using your kettle, only boil as much water as you need as it will cost less than boiling a full kettle.

Lighting

It is thought that 20per cent of your electricity bill is made up of the cost of lighting your home. However, by simply changing your bulbs to energy efficient ones you can reduce the amount you spend on lighting your home.

Low energy bulbs are not only cheaper to use, but they are also known to last as long as ten years compare to one year for a traditional bulb.

By switching from a 40W traditional bulb to a 8W low energy one you can save £21.60 over five years.

Technology

The best way to reduce the cost of running your technology items such as your television, computer or DVD player is to switch them off when they are not being used.

Other than your set top box, such as Sky+ which cannot be switched off, all of your other entertainment gadgets should be switched off at the plug once you have finished using them.

Cleaning

Cleaning appliances such as your hoover do not tend to cost too much to run, however that is not to say that savings cannot be made.

If you have wooden or laminate flooring in your home you could consider swapping your hoover for a micro-fibre mop. Not only will this reduce your energy usage but it will also be less hassle.

Regularly cleaning and defrosting your freezer will ensure that it runs more energy efficient.

For more tips then please visit Which?