QUESTION 1: Leaving your heating on a lower temperature all day is cheaper than having it on high when you’re home and off when you’re out.

ANSWER 1: FALSE - If you keep the heating on all day, then you will be losing energy all day. Turning the heating off when you’re out should save money – even if you have the temperature a little higher when you are in. Unless you are happy to leave the heating very low.

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QUESTION 2: There’s no need to insulate the floor in a house because heat rises.

ANSWER 2: FALSE - It actually flows from a warmer to a cooler place in any direction, including downwards. So in winter you will lose some heat through a ground floor and insulating it can typically save £40 a year.

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QUESTION 3: You lose more heat from a house through the walls than through the roof.

ANSWER 3: TRUE - A typical British house loses about 25% more heat through the walls than through the roof. Getting the roof or loft insulated is still possibly the most common way to rapidly reduce your bills, partly because it's one of the easiest, but you should think about getting your walls insulated too.

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QUESTION 4: Insulating your walls can cause damp and mould

ANSWER 4: TRUE - but only if you install the wrong kind of insulation for your home. You should always use a qualified, professional installer. An expert will check that your home is suitable and advise you on types of insulation. With the right insulation you shouldn’t expect any problems with damp – and the fitter should offer you a 25-year guarantee.

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QUESTION 5: Electricity is always cheaper to use at night.

ANSWER 5: FALSE - Electricity is only cheaper at night for people on an Economy 7 tariff, who heat their home using storage heaters. If you don’t – and most homes in the UK now have a central heating system – then your electricity will cost the same throughout the day. So running your washing machine after midnight won’t save you any money.

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QUESTION 6: Electrical appliances can still use electricity when turned off.

ANSWER 6: TRUE - Many electrical appliances use a small amount of power even when not in use. If every appliance in your home is off but still plugged in at the wall, you could be using a surprising amount of energy. To avoid wasting energy, unplug them when they’re not in use or switch the power off at the plug socket.

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QUESTION 7: Installing a smart meter will automatically start saving you money.

ANSWER 7: FALSE - Installing a smart meter - in itself - doesn't save any energy. In fact, a smart meter with a screen will actually use a small amount of energy. But knowing exactly how much energy you are consuming and how much it costs does make energy saving in the home easier. Most people save around 5-15% after installing one.

 

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QUESTION 8: Turning your heating down by 1C can reduce heating bills by: a) 1% b) 5% c) 10%

ANSWER 8: c) 10% Also washing clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 uses around 40% less electricity saving about £15 a year.

 

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QUESTION 9: Installing and correctly using a programmer room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves could save you how much a year? a) £10 b) £30 c) £75

ANSWER 9: c) £75

 

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QUESTION 10: Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has recommended people use electric blankets as a cheap way of staying warm. He calculated wearing one 7 hours a day, 7 days a week, would cost how much to run a week?: £1.37 b) £13.70 c) £37

ANSWER 10: £1.37 a week. An electric blanket uses very little power and is able to keep you warm by heating your body directly. Central heating or other heaters heat the air (which is a good insulator and very inefficient in comparison at distributing heat to people).