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Energy Saving Tips That Will Feel Lighter On Your Pocket!
October 2008
As the winter months fast approach, South Yorkshire’s air quality campaign Care4Air is urging people to follow simple steps to ensure that their homes are kept toasty warm in the most energy efficient way as part of Energy Savings Week (20th – 26th October).
The national awareness-raising week aims to show people how they can become more environmentally friendly in their day-to-day lives and keep costs down as a result of taking simple measures to reduce their carbon footprint. The Care4Air campaign, which is run by all four local authorities in South Yorkshire, wants everybody in the region to think about what they could do to help the environment and also their pocket in the recent economic downturn.
Care4Air is listing some top tips that will have long-term financial benefits that everyone can do now in preparation for the winter months:
- Wrap up your tank - Fit a coat around your hot water cylinder, which will reduce heating bills by about £20 per year. You can either buy a new cylinder with a foam sprayed jacket (this is the best type) or buy a wrap around jacket from your local hardware shop. Fit one at least 3” thick and make sure it’s a British Standard one.
- Insulate, Insulate, Insulate - Insulation is the best way to reduce your energy bills. Walls and lofts will leak up to 60% of a home’s heat. Discounted insulation is available. Contact the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 028 1067 (insulation grant line) or call your power company to see if they have any special offers available.
- Beat the draughts – After insulation, tackling drafts is the next best way to stop heat escaping. You can fill in gaps around skirting board, window frames and in between floor boards easily with sealant. But remember that air bricks need to be left alone so that air can circulate to keep your house healthy. Don’t forget to install a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors and letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too!
Other tips that people can do all year-round to improve energy efficiency in their home include:
- Using standby on your TV and other items may seem convenient but wastes a lot of money. Avoid leaving appliances on standby or on charge as this can use up to 80% as much energy as them being on!
- Make sure you set the boiler thermostat, time programmer and thermostatic radiator valves, so they only heat the rooms that you use at the time that you use them. Set your room thermostat to between 18°C and 21°C depending on your preference and your cylinder thermostat to 60°C
- Replace all old light bulbs with energy saving ones
- If you're shopping for new appliances, choose ones with the EST ‘Energy Saving Recommended logo’ and the EU Energy Label. It's your guarantee that the product will save energy, cost less to run and help the environment
- Turn down the central heating slightly (by as little as 1 or 2 degrees)
- Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load
- Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need
- Car-sharing to work, or for the kids school run, for more information visit www.carsharesouthyorkshire.com
Using the bus or a train rather than the car
Mark Daly, spokesperson for Care4Air, said: “I know as we start moving into the winter months people will begin to turn up the central heating, and with increasing fuel costs it makes sense to think about how we can be more economical. Energy Savings Week is a great platform for us to get energy efficiency messages across to the general public and I hope they will see both the environmental and financial benefits of following the easy steps listed above.”
For more information on energy efficiency and improving air quality, please visit www.care4air.org