TV DIY expert Nick Knowles shares his top tips to save you £££s!
Feature by Vicky Leigh
Photos: PinPep
A poll of 2,000 adults commissioned by Smart Energy GB found that almost half (49%) swear by household ‘hacks’ they aren’t even sure work, and carry on doing them anyway. These include watering the grass at night, rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, and placing conkers on windowsills to keep spiders away.
The research also revealed that many respondents have bought into energy-saving ‘hacks’, such as using electricity at night as it’s automatically cheaper (34% said they do this), leaving the heating on low at all times to save money, and painting radiators black to maximise energy efficiency – despite not knowing if they actually work.
While 40% said most of the tips they follow have been handed down through generations of relatives, 30% turn to social media as a source of information. Two thirds (67%) said they’re always on the lookout for ways to save energy in their home, and 41% said they’ve changed their energy habits based on something they saw online.
We asked Nick about the household hacks that work and those that don’t, and for his tips on making smarter, more sustainable choices at home. Nick also shares what it was like taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 – keep reading to find out all about his experience.
Is there something you believed and then realised was a myth?
We’ve all grown up with those little household myths our family passed down. For a long time, I believed that lemon juice cleans everything, and that I’d definitely catch a cold if I went outside with wet hair! Of course, it’s nonsense because catching a cold is picking up a virus.
Do you have any tips that were passed down that are worth following?
My mum wouldn’t use the oven for just one thing. If she was cooking a roast dinner, she’d always cook something else at the same time, like a pudding, and that makes complete sense. You could think ahead and cook a stew in the oven with your Sunday roast, then just heat it up during the week.
One of the myths many people believe is that everyone gets cheaper energy at night – can you explain a bit more about this?
Lots of people think it’s cheaper to run the washing machine or charge the car at night, and this can be true, but you actually need to sign up to a specific tariff or scheme to be rewarded for using electricity flexibly. Otherwise, you’ll be paying the same amount for electricity no matter the hour.
The good news is, more of these flexible tariffs and schemes are becoming available, meaning households with a smart meter can be rewarded for being flexible with their electricity, turning what used to be just another myth into a real chance to save. I’m on a scheme with my smart meter that gives me cheaper electricity at night and on Sundays, for example, so that’s when we run our washing machine and tumble dryers.
Are there any other myths you’ve come across over the years?
Some people believe that if you paint your radiators black, they work better. For years I wondered why I’d sometimes go into homes and find a black painted radiator for no apparent reason. I think it comes from touching a black surface in the heat of summer and it’s really hot, but a white surface isn’t, because one absorbs the heat and the other reflects it. When you don’t have direct sunshine on your radiator, it’s not going to make any difference at all. What does make a difference is putting foil behind your radiators, for example, to reflect heat back into the room, which is an easy DIY job.
Can you share any other easy ways to make savings?
With a smart meter you can clearly see where you’re using electricity, which means you can see where you can make savings. Most of us fill the kettle when we’re making a cup of tea, but you don’t need to boil that much water for just one cup, and if you drink a lot of tea in a day then it really adds up!
Go around the house and switch off lights in empty rooms, unplug unused cables from sockets, and make sure TVs and games consoles are turned off rather than on standby. None of these things individually is going to save you a fortune, but all together over a period of a day, week, month, year, the savings really do add up. With the cost of electricity being so expensive at the moment and people struggling to pay their bills, it makes sense to keep an eye on your usage as much as possible.
Do you have any quick DIY wins?
One of the difficulties is that the people who most need to save money are the people who can least afford to retrofit their homes with energy- and cost-saving features, such as solar panels, for example. But there are plenty of things you can do that are more affordable, like insulating your loft, making sure you don’t have any draughts around doors and windows, using foil behind radiators, only have the heating on when you’re at home, etc.
Also, bleed radiators to make sure they’re working efficiently. You can buy a radiator key for around £3 and it’s the best £3 you’ll spend because it’s such a simple thing to do. The great thing is that there are so many online tutorials now that you can use if you don’t know how to do something.
What energy-saving features would you include if you were building a property now?
I’d always include a heat recovery ventilation system – it takes warm air from the top of the house and recirculates it to the bottom, so you end up heating less than you need to. I’d probably have a ground source heat pump too, and solar panels. These things save money in the long run, but of course they do cost money to install, which a lot of people don’t have.
You were a contestant on the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing – what was your experience like on the show?
It was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed going behind the scenes and seeing how the show is made, and how hard everyone trains, and I met some lovely people along the way. It’s not lost on me that there are probably a million people in this country who would have loved to be in my place. I’ve have had some amazing experiences in the last few years and Strictly has been added to that list. I’ve herded camels on a motorbike in Mongolia and climbed a mountain in Pasadena, and I got to dance live in front of millions of people on a Saturday night. I’m not exactly built for dancing though so I can’t say I’ve kept it up!
Nick is working with Smart Energy GB to highlight how smart meters can help you access energy reward schemes.
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