How many times have you thought about improving the insulation to your home, but decided to spend the money on something a bit more exciting? Let's be honest - cavity wall insulation or a new outfit. It's no competition really, is it?
However, it might be worth remembering that improving the energy efficiency of your home cuts your fuel bills, so with the money you save, you can treat yourself as well!
Research by British Gas published recently revealed that, for every £3 householders in the UK spend on fuel, £1 of it is immediately wasted. Not only does this cost money that we would rather spend on other things, but it also increases carbon emissions which lead to global warming and climate change.
Here are some ideas how to reduce wasted energy in the home.
- Turn your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree c and save 10% on your heating bill. Remember though, that if you are elderly, the room temperature shouldn't be set below 21c (70f)
- Is your water too hot? Domestic hot water doesn't need to be any hotter than 60 degrees c
- Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows
- Change to low-energy light-bulbs where possible. For a three bedroomed house, this can save you up to £70 per year
- Don't leave appliances on stand-by, and switch off mobile phone chargers when not needed - save up to £50 per year
- Installing cavity wall insulation can cost as little as £149, but can save you around £130 per year
- Installing loft insulation can cost as little as £199, but can save around £100 per year
- Fit a hot water cylinder jacket costing around £20 and save up to £48 per year
- Set your washing machine to 40 instead of 60 degrees and save around £12 per year
- Always turn the lights off when you're not using a room. A single light bulb uses a small amount of electricity, but if a few are left on unnecessarily every day, the cost soon mounts up
- When boiling the kettle, use only as much water as you need - but make sure you cover the element (electric kettles). Kettles use a lot of electricity in the
- short time they are in use, and boiling just the amount of water you need can save you up to £30 per year
- If you have central heating radiators, put aluminium foil behind them to line the walls and reflect the heat back into the room
- If your washing machine has one and you're not washing a full load, use the half load setting. This wastes less water and the energy to heat it