“Save More – Pay Less” – a new Guide on saving money through energy efficiency
Reducing your energy use results in smaller bills‚ leaving you with a greater proportion of your income to spend elsewhere. By following the suggestions in the guide‚ you can reduce the amount of energy you use, save money and still meet your needs. We have included some of the Guide’s tips here but to get a complete copy ring: 0800 00 99 66.
Here are some examples of the money you can save:
- installing cavity wall insulation can save you up to £320 per year
- increasing loft insulation to 250mm can save up to £120 per year
- an ‘A’ rated fridge/freezer can save up to £37 per year on running costs
- draught-proofing can save up to £20 per year
- insulating your hot-water tank can save up to £20 per year
- a single low-energy light bulb can cost up to £4.50 less a year to use than a traditional bulb.
Together‚ these savings are the equivalent of an extra £10 in your pocket every week. Up to a quarter of heat lost from homes is lost through the roof. By laying 250mm/10
inches of insulation in your loft you can reduce your heating bills by up to 20% and recoup the cost in as little as a year. Fitting an insulated jacket to your hot-water tank can be straightforward and cheap – less than £20 – and can repay its cost within six months. As your light bulbs expire‚ think about replacing them with low energy bulbs. These are more expensive than ordinary bulbs but use up to 80% less electricity and last up to15 times longer. Switch off appliances rather than leaving them on standby when you are not using them. Studies have found that up to 8% of domestic power use is accounted for by electronic devices on standby. Together the following small changes can save a significant amount of energy in the kitchen.
- Only boil the amount of water you need for hot drinks.
- Descale your kettle. A build up of scale increases the energy needed to boil water.
- Put food in the oven as soon as it heats up. Don’t leave the oven running and empty.
- Food will continue to cook in the residual heat in the oven after it has been turned off.
- Cook small items under the grill rather than using the whole oven.
- An electric toaster can be more efficient than making toast under the grill
- Defrost your freezer regularly. Ice makes it harder for your freezer to maintain its temperature.
- You can use less water when you are washing up and washing clothes.
- Do not leave a hot tap running without a plug in the sink. Wash up in the sink or use a washing bowl rather than running water.
- Wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine or use the half-load setting.
- Hang your washing out to dry when the weather allows – this saves energy and money and your clothes will feel fresher.
- Avoid drying clothes on radiators. Your boiler will use more energy to maintain the room temperature and it can cause condensation.