Make the most of your energy

If you have little or no insulation in your home, up to 40p in every £1 of heat you pay for could be escaping before you feel warm. Yet, being energy efficient can cut as much as £250 off your annual energy bill and reduce your household's carbon dioxide emissions by around two tonnes. Here’s how you can start saving:

1. Look for the logo
Buy Energy Saving Recommended electrical appliances. These are amongst the most efficient in their class. Using them could save you up to £37 a year.

2. Switch to energy saving light bulbs
Energy saving light bulbs last around 10 times longer and come in a range of styles. Each bulb you fit will save up to £60 on electricity over the bulb's lifetime. They save 80% of the energy, and emit the same amount of light. Pick one up from the Parish office.

3. Have lofty ambitions
For example, insulating an uninsulated loft can save around £155 and around 1 tonne of carbon dioxide a year. This remains one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to save energy. The Borough has a scheme to help with costs for those on a pension. Ask for more details.

4. Heat loss - Insulate wall cavities
Around 33% of the heat lost in an uninsulated house escapes through the walls. Each year following installation, cavity wall insulation will trim your heating bills by about £90. Also, reducing the temperature of your house by just 1°C can cut 5-10% off your family’s energy bill and avoid up to 300kg of CO2 emissions per household each year.

5. Turning off the lights
By switching off 5 lights in hallways and rooms in your house when you don't need them, you can save around £40 a year and avoid about 400kg of CO2.

6. Leaving appliances on standby
Standby uses between 40-70 percent of the energy they use when switched on. It is estimated that appliances, including mobile phone chargers, left on standby pump one million tons of carbon each year - enough to power 400,000 homes. Leaving an appliance on standby costs an extra £40/year.

7. Don’t fill the kettle with more water than you need
The energy wasted by unnecessarily boiling one litre of water per day could power over three-quarters of the UK’s street lights. Switch to an energy saving kettle and you will save over £20 in its lifetime.


Still not sure which are your home's weak spots? Why not complete a Home Energy Check.

For more free, impartial advice call the Energy Saving Trust’s local advice centre free on 0800 512 012. Act on CO2 and start saving today.