Energy saving tips and information

Last updated: 12/02/2025

Take a look at our information on energy and money saving tips.

If you’re worried about your energy bills, try using Energy Action Scotland’s free postcode checker to find support near you.

Energy Saving Tips

Below are some tips on small, every day ways that you can reduce your energy usage.

  • When using your kettle, boil only the water you need.
  • If you have an electric immersion heater, only switch on when hot water is needed. An hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon/evening.
  • The room thermostat on the central heating should be set at 21°C (70°F) when in the living room, if your thermostat is elsewhere, set to 18°C (64°F).
  • With storage heaters, it is important to close the damper or output dial, (sometimes called the boost) before going to bed to retain heat stored overnight.
  • Don’t leave appliances on standby but switch them off at the wall instead.
  • Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine. Choose the half-load setting if you cannot wait for a full load.
  • You can turn off a conventional thermal oven 10mins before the end of cooking time – it will continue to cook at the same temperature if you don’t open the oven door.
  • If you can, invest in an electric blanket as often they cost very little to heat. Check out USwitch’s blog about different types of electric blanket and how much they cost to run per hour.

Contacting your Supplier

Contact details of all the main suppliers

Octopus Energy

0808 164 1088, email or live chat via the website.

EDF

Live chat available 24 hours via website.

eON

0808 501 5200, live chat and email via website.

OVO (was SSE)

Pay monthly customers: 0330 303 5063

Pay as you go customers: 0330 175 9669

Website

Scottish/British Gas

Pay monthly customers: 0330 808 3880

Pay as you go customers: 0330 100 0303

Or live chat via website.

Scottish Power

0345 270 0700 download the app or via website.

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View Privacy policy

Covering your tracks

You may not want other people to know that you’ve been searching for information or help from OPFS.

When browsing the internet whether on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, you leave a ‘history’ trail of pages and sites you’ve visited.

It’s impossible to completely avoid being tracked online but if you’re worried about someone knowing which sites you’ve been looking at, there are some things you can do to help cover your tracks.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, try keeping another document or website open in a new tab or window while browsing. If someone comes in the room and you don’t want them to see what you’re looking at, you can quickly switch to another window or tab.

Deleting browsing history

You can delete the history of websites you’ve visited, but it’s important to know that if you delete your browsing history, someone else using the same device may notice.

If you share a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or computer with someone, they might notice that passwords or website addresses have disappeared from their history.

Find out how to remove your browsing history and other data from some of the most commonly used browsers:

Browsing in Private mode (incognito)

When browsing ‘incognito’, the internet browser won’t store cookies or record your browsing history on the computer, mobile or tablet.

This option is available on popular web browsers i.e. -

Toolbars

If you use a search toolbar in your web browser, remember that your searched items can be saved as part of your history. Find out how to delete your searched items from the following search engines: