Simple things you can do to lower your energy consumption and your monthly bills

(24/06/2010)

It has been estimated that making your home as energy efficient as possible can save up to £300 per year. New schemes are constantly being introduced to help UK homeowners lower their greenhouse gas emissions, and make homes as energy efficient as possible.

The boiler scrappage scheme was introduced to give homes with a G rated boiler £400 towards a brand new, more energy efficient boiler. Although this scheme has now been closed due to all 125,000 vouchers being snapped up in March 2010, the Government is already implementing other schemes to help UK homes lower their carbon footprint as domestic heating accounts for 14 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions.

Ensuring your home is as energy efficient as possible is not only about reducing carbon dioxide emissions but it is also about saving money.

There are also several simple things that you can do on an everyday basis that will help lower your energy consumption, and also lower your monthly bills. Richard Clarke, chairman at 1st Action, gives the following advice:

• Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut bills by 10 per cent, saving £55 per year

• Keep heat in by keeping draughts out around windows and doors; nearly half of the heat in the home is lost through walls and the roof. Think about insulating the loft and double or triple glazing the windows

• It takes very little energy to heat a well insulated space but it can be wasted if it’s not delivered in a controlled way. It’s also worth remembering that the human body generates heat, so a space changes when the people in it change; try to adjust your heating accordingly

• Save energy by boiling only as much water as you need and turning off the lights as you leave the room. These small changes can make a huge difference

• Turn appliances off standby to save around £30 per year

• A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week could waste enough hot water to fill half a bath

• Replace old G rated boilers with brand new boilers. The new A rated boilers should burn at least 25 per cent less fuel than the older G rated type and produce improved emissions figures as the fuel is burned more efficiently. Savings figures given for an average family house when switching to a more efficient boiler vary from £235 per year to £285 per year.

Clarke summarises, “There are many simple ways to save energy in the home but the most important thing you can do is to ensure that your home has good insulation and that the source of heat is as controlled and efficient as possible. This will definitely result in savings in the production of CO2 and greenhouse gases along with a reduction in fuel bills. There are also many government grants available to help with energy efficiency so it is worth looking on Directgov’s website to see what is available.”

Related categories:  Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes   Insulation