There are lots of simple things you can do to save
energy right now, which will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions
and help prevent climate change. These range from turning your
lights off when you leave a room to insulating your cavity walls.
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Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room
temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10
percent. You could save around £40 per year.
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Is your water too hot? Your cylinder
thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60°C/140°F.
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Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat
escaping through the windows.
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Always turn off the lights when you leave a
room.
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Don't leave appliances on standby and remember
not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
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If you're not filling up the washing machine,
tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy
programme.
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Only boil as much water as you need (but
remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric
kettle).
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A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in
one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix
leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!
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Use energy saving light bulbs. Just one can
save you £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up
to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
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Do a home energy check. Just answer
some simple questions about your home and the
Energy Savings Trust
give you a free, impartial report telling you how you can save
up to £300 a year on your house hold energy bills.
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Switch to high-efficiency
boilers
If your boiler is over 15 years
old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in
England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing
type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating
bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well
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Insulate wall cavities -
Around 33% of the heat lost in a non-insulated house is through
the walls. You could save up to £160 on energy bills each year
by insulating your wall cavities. It also creates an even
temperature in your home. If we all filled our wall cavities,
we'd save over £960 million of energy a year.
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Loft Insulation
Insulating your loft -
One of the simplest ways to save energy - you can even install
it yourself. Insulate your loft today and in a year you could
save between £180 and £220 per annum
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Fit your tank with a jacket -
Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few
pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, pays for itself
within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you
could save around £20 a year. If every UK household fitted an
adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save over £95 million of
energy every year!
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Draught dodgers - Draughts also
get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, which
also allow heat to escape in winter. Stop this waste by filling
these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant
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Brush up on energy saving -
Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap,
easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors.
Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too. Sealing unused
open fireplaces, and their associated ventilation bricks,
greatly reduces heat loss from a room.
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Look for the
Logo
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When purchasing new appliances, always look
for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Energy Saving
Recommended appliances are the most efficient in their category
and could save you up to £45 a year
