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Today marks the start of Big Energy Saving Week 2015 opens in new window (BESW15) and we’re excited to be among the organisations supporting this year’s campaign.

Why?

Because we are passionate about helping people save money and BESW15 gives us another fantastic opportunity to get consumers thinking about their use of energy and hot water.

Throughout the week – which is organised by Energy Saving Trust opens in new window, Citizens Advice opens in new window and the Department of Energy and Climate Change opens in new window – there will be a steady stream of practical tips on Twitter and Facebook to help you cut your energy bills. All you need to do is follow the hashtag #BESW15

Now, some of you might be wondering what all of this has to do with the Consumer Council for Water – a consumer body that represents water, not energy, consumers. But delve a little deeper and you’ll realise the way we manage our use of hot water has a big role to play in cutting our energy bills – with the added bonus of reducing water bills too for metered customers. In fact about a fifth of a typical combined energy bill covers the cost of running hot baths, showers or using the hot water tap. By getting smarter about our use of hot water, we can start making savings on those headache-inducing energy bills. That might seem obvious but, according to our research, one in four people in England and Wales are still not aware that reducing their water use could help them save energy. We are hoping #BESW15 can start to put that right by helping all of us to understand how small changes can make a big difference.

If that hasn’t already inspired you for the week ahead, maybe our top five tips will:

  • Take shorter showers – every minute less you spend in the shower could shave between £5 and £10 off your energy bills over the year.
  • Invest in a water-saving shower head – these clever devices can cut the amount of water you use by about 30 per cent.
  • Don’t overfill the kettle – by filling the kettle with only the amount of water you need you’ll shave £££s off your energy bills over the course of the year. About two thirds of us are still guilty of boiling more water than we need.
  • Opt for a cooler wash – reducing the temperature setting on your washing machine from 40 to 30 degrees will cut the amount of energy you use by 40 per cent.
  • Insulate your hot water cistern – this will help to avoid wasting energy to keep it hot. Fitting a jacket that is at least 75mm thick could save around £40 each year.

And remember – get following #BESW15 all this week for many more great tips to cut your energy bills.