A dozen of the most common energy saving myths have been busted by experts. Old-wives tales can often lead us down the wrong path when trying to save money as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
A timer's best, as your thermostat turns your heating on and off to keep your home at the temperature you set. It's all about the total amount of energy required to heat your home. If your windows are draughty, it's worth fixing that as well as adding secondary glazing, or you'll only get half the benefit.
Devices left on standby British Gas says that chargers and appliances will still use electricity when left in sockets – so it's important to turn them off at the plug when you're not using them. So while you may not save as much as the Energy Saving Trust says, it can still be worth doing – all devices will still use a small amount of power, and this can add up.
As for putting reflective panels behind radiators, yes, the Energy Saving Trust agrees that these could help cut energy use. They reflect heat from the radiator back into the room, so it doesn't escape through external walls. The trust says homes with uninsulated walls will get most benefit. In an experiment, boiling a mug of water in a microwave was slightly cheaper than boiling it in a kettle, though there's not much in it. Electrical Safety First warns that boiling water in a microwave can be dangerous as you could overheat the water past boiling point and cause it to explode. On the other hand, a kettle is designed to switch off once it reaches boiling point.