As gas prices rise through the roof, employing energy saving tips at home has never been more important. Because acts as simple as leaving your phone on standby, or overfilling the kettle, could be costing you hundreds of pounds a year.

Research from the Citizens Advice and the Energy Saving Trust has revealed that a third of households have not made any effort to reduce their energy use in recent years.

However, just incorporating a few energy savings hacks into your routine won’t just keep your house warm in winter, it could help households make real savings. That’s not to mention the bonus of helping the UK to reach its target of net zero emissions by 2050.

‘If every household in Britain made just a handful of energy-saving changes, the combined impact could make a big difference to our finances and the environment,’ explains Laura McGradie, head of consumer advice at Energy Saving Trust.

If you are stuck in your ways, or not sure where to start saving money on your home energy usage, these small changes could make a big difference.

Energy saving tips in the home

1. Turn your thermostat down by one degree

Image credit: Future PLC

Flicking your thermostat dial down from 25 to 24 degrees could save households across the UK £800 million.

Another myth busted is that it’s cheaper to have the heating on low all the time. Apparently, 46 per cent of us believe it to be true but it’s not. According to the Energy Saving Trust again, you can make £150 per year by using a thermostat to regulate the temperature.

2. Change your lightbulbs

Image credit: Simon Whitmore

You don’t exactly need to have a lightbulb moment to know that switching to efficient LED bulbs can save you money. But did you know just how much you could claw back?

According to Phil Spencer, you could save up to £240 on bills. Npower agrees, but puts the estimate at a more conservative £35 per year.

If all households swapped to LED light bulbs – or better yet, smart lighting and bulbs that are easy to switch on and off from your phone – it could save £230 million a year. It would also help cut down on 430,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

3. Stop leaving things on standby

Image credit: Dominic Blackmore

If you see that red light blinking on the TV, tell yourself and the family “stop leaving it on standby”. Turning all appliances off properly at the wall switch could save households across the UK £690 million.

And it will prevent 1.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions being released.

4. Don’t overfill the kettle

Image credit: Colin Poole

Time for a cuppa? Stop filling the kettle up to the brim – and don’t be one of the 23 per cent that re-boils the kettle. Boiling more water than necessary each time could set you back £36 a year, based on calculations from the Energy Saving Trust.

Overfilling the kettle is the biggest drain on the nation’s wallet. If we all only boiled the right amount of water it would save £1.1billion!

The Energy Saving Trust has estimated that acting on just these first four energy saving tips alone could save each household £100 a year. The total carbon savings would be the equivalent of taking three million cars off the road.

5. Cover your pans

Image credit: Richard Gadsby

Make sure you put the lid on saucepans so your food cooks quicker, and turn off the heat on the stove a few minutes before you’re ready. Don’t worry, things will keep cooking under the residual heat, and this will save energy little and often.

Finally, make sure you always match the size of the cooking ring to the size of the saucepan, to avoid wasting energy by heating the air.

6. Swap the shower head

Image credit: David Giles

Next, a clever shower room idea. According to npower, four in five of us (81 per cent) believe showers use less water than baths. Yet your power shower could be drenching you with 50 litres of water more than you’d put a bath.

The Energy Saving Trust predicts that a water-efficient shower head could save a household up to £195 a year. And one minute less in the shower could save you up to £80 annually.

Modern shower heads use current-limiting technology to save up to 40 per cent water usage, while showering under normal water pressure. So if you’re sick of the drip, drip, drip from your old, limescale encrusted shower head, now’s the time to ditch it. This will cost you around £20-£40, but will save you in the long run.

7. Install a smart meter

As part of a government scheme all energy supplies now install smart meters, at no extra cost, to help you keep track on what you are spending.

Monitoring your daily household usage will help your be mindful of energy consumption – helping reduce how much we use and therefore costs.

If you’re on a waiting list and need a quick fix to start reading your usage, you can buy independent readers. There’s an initial outlay, but you’ll soon start saving because of it.

8. Block draughts

Image credit: James Gardiner

Why waste the central heating you’re paying good money for? Keep cold draughts out of the house and save on heating bills. A simple draught excluder is a quick, cost-effective way to tackle unwanted winter chills from doors and windows.

Thermal lines curtains are another affordable money-saving system, keeping the heat in so you don’t need to crank up the thermostat.

9. Invest in a tumble dryer ball

While a smart utility room is a luxury we’d all love, there can be hidden costs – particularly if you’ve installed a tumble dryer. On rainy washdays, it can guzzle plenty of energy while tumbling towels and sheets to fluffy and soft perfection. But did you know a tumble dryer ball can help?

The ingenious balls create space between the laundry, airing them and helping reduce the time needed in the dryer.

10. Combine cooking with heating

Image credit: Everhot

Combining a stove or range cooker with a boiler means you can have a smart appliance on show that can heat the whole house. Traditional range cookers can heat hot water for the kitchen and bathroom and run the radiators, while providing the kitchen with heat.

A boiler stove provides hot water and can run radiators, and works best in conjunction with other heating systems.

11. Bleed your radiators

Image credit: Future

Not feeling the benefit of your central heating system? You could be wasting money. Check your radiators are in good working order. If the top of a radiator feels cooler than the bottom then it probably needs bleeding to get rid of trapped air.

Learning how to bleed a radiator is surprisingly easy and the whole process only takes 10 minutes.

12. Fill your fridge with bottles of tap water

Image credit: David Parmiter

It may seem illogical, but it takes a lot more energy to keep an empty fridge cold than a full one. that’s why Location, Location, Location star Phil Spencer recommends you fill yours up with bottles of water.

13. Get a washing-up bowl

You can pick one up for a pound or two but you’ll make back the invest meant easily. That’s because, although almost one in five of us (18 per cent) think a running tap uses less water when washing up, you could save up to £25 on your water bill by investing in a bowl.

And of course, you’re not paying to heat that extra water, you’ll save on your energy bills, too.

14. Pick your paint wisely

Image credit: Future PLC/ Jo Henderson

Another of Phil Spencer’s genius energy saving tips is to paint walls with a satin or semi-gloss paint rather than a gloss as it will reflect the heat better. This will keep a room warmer – but will only save you money if you’re planning to redecorate, regardless.

‘Reducing household energy consumption and the monthly cost of energy is incredibly important to homes up and down the country, who are feeling the pinch’ says Chris Gardner, Head of Home and Garden Trading at eBay.

‘Even the smallest swaps can make an impact on reducing the cost of energy for all of us. Ebay offers plenty of options, for as little as under £10, to choose from.’

Will you be making any of these simple swaps?

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There’s no better place for garden inspo than The Royal Chelsea Flower Show. Taking place in autumn this year, it has brought lots of new and exciting concepts – and, for the first time, some bold and brilliant house plant ideas.

The Green Room, designed by plant stylist to the stars Ian Drummond, is a plant paradise of leafy green, with a distinct disco vibe. Definitely a little ‘out there’ for RHS Chelsea – so, is it brilliant or bonkers?

Image credit: Future PLC

The Green Room house plant studio at the Chelsea Flower Show

First things first, it’s impossible for any visitor at RHS Chelsea to walk past this houseplant studio without pausing to comment on its unashamedly fun design. This ties in with the project’s focus on the symbiotic relationship between people and plants.

The bright pink macramé on the outside creates the surreal impression of the garden room being suspended in the air like a plant hanging from the bathroom ceiling. It really does feel as if it has just landed down at the Royal Hospital Gardens, soon to be flying off again.

The VIP houseplant hangout overflows with popular monstera deliciosa, polka dot begonia and three types of calathea.

Image credit: Future PLC

Freddie Blackett, CEO of Patch Plants – the team behind the Silver-Gilt winning Pharmacy of House Plants, shared his thoughts. He comments that as the first time the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has ever had house plants, The Garden Room is ‘an excellent modernising move.’

‘My first impression is that it was very 70s funky disco vibes, and we know that houseplants were ​popular throughout the disco era. A definite shake-up of the traditional RHS Chelsea formula,’ says Freddie.

Brilliant or bonkers?

Our Ecommerce Editor in Chief, Lindsey Davis, loves the concept. ‘Sure, it looks mad from the outside, but the pink accents echo the look of some of the variegated plants inside,’ she says. ‘What a great way to encapsulate our passion for house plants in a very British tongue-in-cheek way – especially since that obsession has boomed for many of us in the last year and a bit.’

Ideal Home Editor Heather Young is also a big fan. ‘This is brilliant!’ she says. ‘We’ve all been hanging out in our gardens so much more this year, and I’d love nothing more than to host an outdoor evening soiree in a fun space like this!’

Image credit: Future PLC

‘This shed is giving me serious ideas about how to incorporate glitter balls into my houseplant displays,’ says News Editor Becky Knight. ‘I’m not usually a neon pink person, but I think I might (almost) be converted.’

The clever use of lighting Lindsey mentions could certainly inspire some fun conservatory plant ideas. We think it’s bonkers and brilliant – all it needs is a glass of rosé.

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There were many consequences of the Chelsea Flower Show 2021 being hosted in September for the first time ever. However, one we never saw coming was an 800lb giant pumpkin.

The giant pumpkin at Chelsea, showcased in the Great Pavillion, stole the show as the first-ever giant pumpkin to be showcased at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. However, rather than a one-off marvel, the pumpkin marks a growing trend, as many gardeners are starting to embrace giant vegetables in their garden ideas.

Now October is almost upon it is unsurprising that pumpkins are going to be a big part of our Halloween decorating ideas – but this year we expect them to be supersized.

In the last year, Gerald Stratford became a social media sensation after showing off the big vegetables he was growing on Twitter. His account proved so popular it has recently been turned into a book ‘Big Veg’ currently available on Amazon.

Image credit: Rebecca Knight

‘There are definitely more and more people growing Giant Veg,’ explains Ben White, who grew the giant pumpkin at Chelsea. ‘There are some fantastic weigh-offs and events around the UK and online growing communities on Facebook, in one of them – ‘Giant Vegetable Community’ – there are over 5K members.’

‘There’s lots of information and everyone is willing to help new and old growers. It’s a place we all come together and share our grow. It’s run by friend and WR holder Kevin Fortey.’

Image credit: Ben White / @bwhitesveg

Ben has been growing giant pumpkins for the last four years, documenting them on his Facebook and Instagram account @bwhitesveg. He had originally planned to take the pumpkin, affectionately nicknamed Greta, to a weigh-off in October, a competition where the pumpkin would be judged on its weight.

However, after getting asked if he had a pumpkin he could showcase at the Chelsea Flower Show, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to grow the first giant pumpkin shown at the flower show.

Image credit: Ben White / @bwhitesveg

‘I cut the pumpkin two weeks early, myself and friend Matthew Oliver from The Global Growth Vegetable Garden ( RHS Hyde Hall) transported the pumpkin from Essex to Chelsea in the early hours of Sunday,’ says Ben.

‘To be included at the show has been a great privilege and I’m glad it’s brought lots of smiles and memories to visitors, also Royals & Celebs.’

The massive pumpkin took just 80 days to grow, after being planted in early April with a seed Ben obtained from a grower in America. ‘The parent plant produced a pumpkin weighing 2152lbs,’ reveals Ben.

Image credit: Ben White / @bwhitesveg

If you’re tempted to have a go at trying out the giant vegetable trend, Ben recommends starting by investing in good seeds and avoiding this if you’re brainstorming small garden ideas.

‘Definitely start by getting good seed from reputable sellers,’ he explains. ‘You need a lot of space for pumpkins 600sqft for one plant.’

‘Water and feed regularly, using drip irrigation system or overhead watering. Have patience and hopefully the weather is on your side. Importantly enjoy the grow!’

The post This giant gardening trend stole the show at the Chelsea Flower Show 2021 appeared first on Ideal Home.

When it comes to hallway storage, it’s easy to forget about the masterful umbrella stand. For holding your sopping wet brollies and keeping the wet mess away from your flooring, umbrella stands can also make a design statement. Plus, they’re the perfect filler for an otherwise empty corner of your hallway. Whether you’re after something for hiding your umbrellas or holding them – or perhaps even both! – be inspired by our selection of gorgeous umbrella stands that will definitely make an entrance in any home. It’s these sort of finishing touches that will create a smart first impression on guests.

Related: Hallway storage ideas – create a practical entrance that’s both neat and tidy with our inspiration

Not just for holding brollies, you can also use your new umbrella stand for holding Nan’s walking stick – or for storing an eyesore shoehorn out of sight. Choose a decorative metal umbrella holder to make a statement, or opt for a sleek black umbrella stand to fit with your modern interior. Umbrella baskets are also popular, especially in boho or Scandi-style homes. Pick one of these gorgeous designs to brighten up your space, but be warned: with such smart storage, you may need to invest in a few new umbrellas! Here are our top umbrella stand picks for hallways, from everywhere including Amazon, Argos Home, Oliver Bonas and more.

The best umbrella stands

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