Reduce Household Energy Costs

A WINTER'S GUIDE TO REDUCING YOUR HOUSEHOLD ENERGY COSTS $. IN THEÚK In a typical UK household, well over half the money spent on fuel bills goes towards providing heating and hot water. Having an efficient and cost-effective heating system is vital – and it's one of the main steps you can take to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions. LOW COST SAVINGS TIPS Install a water-efficient shower head Turn off appliances left on standby Be careful how you use your kitchen appliances A typical household could save between 145 and £80 a A family of 4 could save £65 You can save over year just by remembering a year on gas for water F43 a year by switching to turn off appliances left heating, as well as a further on standby. off unused appliances. 195 on water bills if they have a water meter. E MEDIUM COST SAVING TIPS Draught excluder DIY draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can cost up to £200, but can save between 20 to £30 a year. New heating controls Whatever the age of your boiler, the right controls will let you: Set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them Heat just the areas of your home you want Decide how warm you want each area to be. By installing a room thermostat, programmer and thermostatic radiator valves, you could save up to £70 to £150 a year. This allows you to make savings by using your controls more effectively. For example, turning down your room thermostat by JUGT UlNe uGyree, if it's too warm inside, can Save around £/5. Lighten your load If the average household replaced all of their remaining old-fashioned bulbs with CFLS, and all of their halogens with LEDS, it would cost about £110 and save about £45 a year. HIGH COST SAVING TIPS Cavity wall insulation The average installation cost for cavity wall insulation is between £450 and £500 and can Save up to £145 a year. The measure could pay for itself in less than four years. Greater savings and income for renewable technology: A typical solar 4KWP panel could generate and save you £/50 per year. Whole house energy makeover There are plenty of other things that can be done to improve the energy performance of your home, such as floor and solid wall insulation, replacement doors and windows, or a new heating system. SAVING WATER Each household in the UK uses on average around 360 LITRES EACH DAY. BUT ABOUT 21% OF A TYPICAL GAS HEATED HOUSEHOLD'S HEATING BILL IS FROM HEATING THE WATER FOR SHOWERS, BATHS AND HOT WATER FROM THE TAP. THIS IS ON AVERAGE ABOUT £140 PER YEAR. 5 STEPS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR HOT WATER BILLS 2 Insulate your hot water cylinder A well fitted tank jacket could save you around f20 to £30 a year, more if you heat your water Use less electrically. Insulating the hot water pipes will Get information and advice on using less water. - save more energy, and can help your taps to run hot more quickly. Control A Fuel switching Make sure you have the light controls, and have them Set correctly to give you enough Gas is cheaper than electricity or oil, so consider switching if hot water when you want it, you can. and not when you don't. Solar Once fitted, solar water heating could provide a g00d proportion of your hot water requirements with Virtually no running costs. 3 ENERGY SAVING MYTHS BUSTED ΜΥΤΗ Leaving the heating on all ay on a low temperature is cheaper than turning the heating up and down, or on and off, as needed. FACT Room thermostats turn the heat on and off when your home reaches the set temperature that you feel comfortable at. Combine this with a timer control that tells your heating system to come on only when you need it to save money on your energy bills. MYTH Cranking up the thermostat heats your home. FACT To heat your home faster, install better insulation. This decreases the rate at which heat is lost through your walls, loft, windows, and floor. MYTH Electrical appliances, such as TVs, laptops, phone chargers, don't use electricity when they're plugged-in but not in use. FACT Some electrical appliances and chargers draw energy even when the devices are not being used. This 'vampire power' wastes energy, and the best way to avoid this is to remember to switch off at the wall and pull out the plug. By avoiding standby, and making sure devices are not left plugged in or idle, a typical home could save between £50 to £80 a year. REFERENCES www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/content/energy-saving-quick-wins www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/content/saving-water LCH www.LONDON-CENTRALHEATING.co.UK %24