Energy Efficiency

Manchester Student Homes has partnered with Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) to help you get the best out of your student home with advice on energy usage and efficiency. To find out more about this partnership project, click here.

Whether you want to reduce your bills or limit the environmental impact of your home, these tips are here to help! 

• Avoid standby mode - Switch off your appliances at the plug when you’re not using them. 

• Cool wash your clothes at 30°C - Washing your clothes on a cool wash, or on your washing machine’s eco-mode, can both reduce your energy bills and help your clothes last longer by minimising wear and shrinkage. 

• Making a brew? Only boil as much water as you need! - Boiling only the water you need will not only reduce the energy used to boil your kettle, but also the time. Make your housemates a brew at the same time to avoid boiling the kettle multiple times! 

• Fill your dishwasher –Wait until your dishwasher is full before running it. Your dishwasher may also have an eco-mode which will use less water and energy.

• Turn off your lights – headed out? Make sure you turn off your lights before you head out! Want to leave a light on for safety? Pick up a free light timer from our office. 

• Block draughts – Use a draught excluder to avoid losing heat and keep your home cosy. You can even make your own with scrap materials such as old clothes, pillows or plastic bags. 

• Understand your heating system – Familiarising yourself with your boiler and its settings can help you use energy when and where you most need it. 

• Check your thermostatic radiator values – Most radiators have a small thermostatic value which you can use to adjust to temperature of the radiator. Use these to adjust how warm you want to keep each room.