Energy Advice

Energy facts - In the home

  • On average, each household in the UK emits around six tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - enough to fill six hot air balloons 10 metres in diameter
  • The average home is responsible for more harmful carbon dioxide gas than the average car every year
  • £5 billion worth of energy is wasted annually in the UK
  • Cutting energy wastage through energy efficiency measures could save the average household £200 a year

 

Walls, roofs, windows and doors

  • Energy_saving_windowsThe amount of heat lost in homes annually through roofs and walls is enough to heat three million homes for a year
  • If everyone in the UK installed cavity wall insulation, emissions of CO2 would be reduced by nine million tonnes. That's enough to fill 51 million double-decker buses
  • If every household in the UK installed cavity wall insulation, it would save £650 million a year - or enough to power 1.8 million homes for the same period
  • If everyone in the UK installed double low E glazing, we could save enough energy to make 612 billion cups of coffee

 

Heating and water                     

  • Energy_efficient_boilerIf everyone in the UK with gas central heating installed a condensing boiler, we would cut CO2 emissions by 18.6 million tonnes. This is enough energy to power four million homes for a year
  • CO2 emissions would be cut by 0.45 million tonnes if everyone in the UK put a jacket on their hot water tank
  • If everyone in the UK installed a condensing boiler the equivalent energy saved would power the West Midlands for over a year

 

Appliances - Washing machines / Tumble dryers

  • Nine in 10 homes in the UK have a washing machine, 35 per cent have a tumble dryer and one in four have a dishwasher.
  • We use £800 million worth of electricity by using washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers. This produces five million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year
  • The average washing machine is used for 274 cycles a year; a dishwasher for 250 cycles and a tumble dryer 148 times

 

Refrigeration

  • UK households use £1.2 billion worth of electricity every year on cooling and freezing food and drinks - nearly as much electricity as all offices
  • If everyone in the UK upgraded their old refrigeration appliance to an A-rated, energy efficient product, energy wastage would be cut by over two-thirds. That's the equivalent of over 47 million hot air balloons of CO2 and over £1 billion on bills
  • Buying an energy efficient fridge freezer to replace your inefficient model could cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 296Kg a year. That's around four times the weight of an average man

 

Lighting

  • In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 to15 per cent of the electricity bill. In fact, UK households use £1.2 billion worth of electricity every year on lighting
  • If every UK household installed three energy efficient light bulbs this would save enough energy in a year to supply all street lighting
  • By using an energy efficient bulb rather than an inefficient one, you will have cut carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime by almost 50 kgs. That's the equivalent of running a small car for 1,547 kms - or one and a half times the distance between Land's End and John O'Groats
  • The British public walks to the moon and back twice every year to change lightbulbs. Energy efficient bulbs last 10 times as long as a standard bulb

 

How to be energy efficient every day of the week

Here are some checks, which you can make during this week which will make a difference to your energy bills. Just do something each day and you will save energy and money each year.

On Monday phone the Energy Efficiency hotline on 01345 277 200 and ask for an energy check. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions on a form and send it back for your very own personalised report. This will show you exactly where energy is wasted in your home, give you tips on what you can do to save energy and what grants may be available. The hotline can alsoput you in touch with expert energy efficiency installers and local advice centres.

On Tuesday, why not brighten up your home with some energy efficient light bulbs? Manufacturers have introduced all sorts of new designs and colours. In most homes lighting accounts for 10 - 15 per cent of the energy bill and you can save up to £10 per year by replacing a single 100 Watt lamp with an equivalent energy saving light bulb. You will also spend less time climbing up step ladders as the energy saving bulbs last up to eight times longer than an ordinary lamp.

On Wednesday spend a little time considering your boiler. If you have been neglecting it over the years it may be costing you money. If it hasn't been properly serviced and it breaks down, leaving you without hot water and heating, you will soon realise how much you rely upon it. Half of the average home's energy bill goes on central heating and hot water, so if your boiler is 15 years old or unreliable, replace it and save 10 - 15 per cent of your fuel bill. A high efficiency condensing boiler will cost about £300 more than an ordinary boiler, but you may save as much as an additional £100 per year; a good investment.
                                                               Kettle
On Thursday look at your kitchen appliances. If they are over ten years old their time could be up and they could be running up high bills for you. Defrost fridges and freezers regularly because this saves money. But if you are thinking of replacing appliances, look for the EU energy labels and ask for A or B rated models as these are the most energy efficient and are the cheapest to run. Over the ten year lifetime of a freezer alone you can save up to £450 on running costs.

On Friday give a thought to how well your home is insulated. To make sure that you are warm next winter and to help maintain an even temperature in the summer you should check that you have the modern standard of insulation in your roof and walls.

If you have a roof space, check that you have at least 200mm depth of insulation quilt on top of the ceiling. Topping up with quilt is a simple job that you may be able to do yourself, or you may choose to ask someone to do it for you. In either case you will save up to 20 per cent on heating costs, but make sure that you have adequate ventilation around the perimeter of the loft to allow ventilation to the timbers and to prevent condensation in the roof.

Find out whether you have cavity walls. Most houses built since the 30s do. Cavity wall insulation can save up to a staggering 60 per cent of your heating costs and installation only costs about £450 for an average semi-detached dwelling The problems of the past have been overcome with the introduction of new materials which are safe and resist water penetration.

On Saturday don't spend the day looking through your windows; look at them instead! 23 per cent of heat loss can go through the glass, but you can reduce this by up to 50 per cent by fitting double glazing. Better still, the new energy efficiency glass can save a further 10 per cent. This should give you an extra £25-30 cash in your pocket every year too. Double glazing also cuts down noise from outside and the air seals around new windows will prevent any heat loss through draughts.

Heater_tapOn Sunday, the traditional day to relax, here is one final hint about being in control. Cut your energy costs by up to 20 per cent, that's about £55-85 every year, by adding controls to your heating system. Time switches, thermostatic radiator valves, zone controls and cylinder thermostats all help in the crusade against energy waste.

 

Handy hints

The following handy hints can help make your home more energy efficient and keep you warm and well this winter:

  • Lagging a hot water tank will reduce heating costs and keep water hot for longer, so make sure yours is properly insulated. If it has a thermostat, check that this is not set too high.600C is usually hot enough for most domestic uses.
  • Heavy curtains, or curtains with thermal linings, can help to keep the heat in your home if you draw them at dusk. Remember, don't let curtains cover radiators under windows and don't block radiators with furniture.
  • If you have central heating, set the thermostat at a temperature that you find comfortable.If your rooms are too hot, do not waste energy by opening windows; instead, turn down the thermostat setting a degree or two.
  • Low-energy lightbulbs last up to twelve times longer than ordinary ones and use only a fifth of the electricity, so consider using them in areas where lights are used for long periods of time.
  • Fixing small shelves about 2 inches above central heating radiators will push warm air towards the centre of the room.
  • Allow hot foods to cool before refrigerating or freezing.
  • Regularly defrost your freezer: frost build-up increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.
  • Don't place your fridge near a heat source, whether it is your cooker, dishwasher or even direct sunlight from a window.
  • When heating liquids in a saucepan, always use a lid. Try to use an appropriately sized pan for the burner.
  • A 40oC washing machine cycle uses around a third less electricity than a 60oC one.
  • Always try to wash a full load, or use the half load option if your machine has one.