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This is the Hints page for Energy Saving Hints and Tips.
Many of these will be obvious, easy to do, common-sense items. However, it does take a bit of effort and discipline to do them frequently enough to make a difference to your Gas and Electricity bills. I will try to structure this so it builds up to more complex stuff as you go down the page, so you can stop when you reach the point you want to go to. I will try to put in links to other sites and reference information to aid those wanting more in-depth information, or more technical detail.
- The number one easy item is - if there is no-one in a room, TURN THE LIGHT OFF. If you and ALL your other household members get into this habit, it can save on your bill noticeably over a year. Have a look around the house, I BET there is one on you forgot.
- When filling your kettle, ONLY fill it enough for the cups you need to make NOW. Most jug kettles are around 3 kW - so this can add up dramatically over a month. The less water there is (must be over your minimum mark), the quicker it comes to the boil, and switches itself off.
- Fit CFL Lamps (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) in place of some of your normal Tungsten Lamps. These are especially useful where you have a porch or outside lamp on for long periods. NOTE: most of the standard CFL are NOT DIMMABLE. See HERE for links to dimmable makes. See HERE for information on wattage equivalents for the low-energy CFL. I would not recommend them for hall/stairs/landing, as there is still a couple of minutes “warmup” period to achieve full brightness, so partially sighted people should NOT use these in critical areas. See HERE for sensible advice on this from RNIB.
- Some energy suppliers are offering FREE Low-Energy lamps, so if you get a form, fill it in (some give away up to 4).
- If you have an outdoor security light with a 500W lamp in it, change it for a 300W one (same length) when it fails. Also consider changing it for a PIR driven one, if it is a manually switched one.
- If you have a dual-rate electricity meter (often called an ECONOMY7 meter), you can make use of off-peak electricity charges being MUCH LOWER than the daytime rate (roughly one-quarter). To do this, if you have appliances such as a dishwasher, or a washing machine, or a tumble-drier, use any delay-timers to your advantage, and have them come on between 3AM and 7AM. Most people will be in a “deep sleep” at 3AM, and unlikely to be woken up by filling or spinning etc. Obviously you will be limited if you machine is very noisy, or directly under your bedroom.
- If you don’t have a dual-rate electricity meter (often called an ECONOMY7 meter), you MAY be able to change to this type. Some energy providers might charge, some might not. Many new houses built in the mid-eighties had these fitted, but were the old mechanical disk type. After about 20 years, many meters reach the end of their certification life, and are replaced with the new fully electronic meter. See these two links for more information on meters: NWML ONSTREAM
- For appliances that do NOT have a delay-timer, check if they will work with a plug-in timer on the supply socket. If your appliance has a mechanical start knob, rather than an electronic button, you may be in luck, but check your manual. This way you can set it to start within your off-peak electricity use period.
- Try turning your hot-water tank-thermostat down a couple of degrees (say 53 instead of 55), to save a bit of gas.
- If you have a timer, shorten the “ON” times to closely match the times you actually need the Central Heating on. If you have multiple ON/OFF times, use them to your advantage.
- Ensure that all hot pipework in your airing-cupboard is lagged with FOAM TUBE lagging (very cheap from most DIY suppliers). The minimum is a meter from any hot tank, but it is best to lag any visible hot pipework, to minimise heat losses. Don’t forget to lag your power-shower pipes as well.
- It goes without saying, that your hot-water tank should be lagged. If your old tank has the old-style lagging jacket, it may now be time to change the tank for the foam covered type, with much better heat retaining properties. Ensure your replacement is made to the British Standard BS1566:2002(PART L).
- If you feel your tank is still in good condition, ensure that the lagging jacket is 75mm thick. If it is in bad condition, replace it.
- If your loft is not insulated to the recommended depth of 270mm, then you may still be loosing more heat energy than you should. Check the link HERE to see information on grants and offers that may be available to you.
- Check with the Energy Saving Trust to see what products are available and have the Energy Saving Recommended Logo
REFERENCES:
DIMMABLE CFL:
http://www.gogreenlighting.com/acatalog/MEGAMAN_DIMMERABLE_SERIES.html and
http://www.doctorenergy.co.uk/acatalog/EXTRA_MINI_SPIRAL.html#aKFT07SP2
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