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Energy saving tips for your home
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Did you know there are many simple things you can do around your home to increase energy efficiency, reduce your bills and keep more money in your pocket? With the help of the Energy Saving Trust we've put together this list of energy saving tips to help you start saving money today.
Lighting and electricity
Look out for the logo - when buying new appliances look for the 'Energy Saving Recommended' logo. These appliances are the most efficient and could save you up to £34 a year.
Turn it off and unplug it - if chargers for devices such as mobile phones were unplugged when not in use, the UK could save enough electricity each year to power 115,000 homes. When appliances such as the TV are left on standby you're wasting money.
Turn your lights off - when you leave a room, turn the light off. UK households spend £1.9bn on lighting every year. Fluorescent strip lights in kitchens give long lasting light with lower running costs.
Energy saving light bulbs - lighting accounts for 10-15% of home electricity bills. Energy saving bulbs last 10 times longer than normal bulbs - each one fitted could save £40 over its lifetime.
Outdoor lighting - if you have an outside light fit a low energy light bulb. You can also fit a timer or a motion sensor so it's only used when it's needed, and buy solar lights for night time lighting.
Doing the laundry
Wash cooler - 85% of the energy that washing machines use goes to heating the water. Washing at 30°C uses a third less electricity. Modern washing powders are much more effective at lower temperatures.
Fill it up - put full loads in your washing machine and wait until your dishwasher is full before turning it on.
Dry clothes outside - you'll save energy normally used by your tumble dryer. In the winter, put your clothes on a clothes horse rather than on the radiator, as covering the radiator will make your boiler work harder than it needs to.
In the bathroom
Take a shower - a five-minute shower uses a third of the water of a bath and can save 50 litres every time. If you like a bath however, afterwards you can use the water to water your garden.
Fix the drip - dripping hot taps can add to your heating costs. Get them repaired before it all adds up.
In the kitchen
The perfect cuppa - a five-minute shower uses a third of the water of a bath and can save 50 litres every time. If you like a bath however, afterwards you can use the water to water your garden.
Keep it closed - try not to leave your fridge door open. Each minute the door is open takes three minutes of energy to cool down again. Try to keep your fridge and freezer three quarters full, defrost them regularly, and never put hot food in your fridge or freezer as it makes it work harder than it needs to.
Cooking tips - chop vegetables into smaller chunks for cooking, they cook more quickly thus using less energy. Put lids on your saucepans to stop the heat escaping and reduce cooking time. Cooking with a steamer means you can cook several types of vegetable on one ring.
Microwave more - using a microwave is quicker and more energy efficient than using an oven. Making toast in a toaster is more efficient than putting it under the grill.
Heating
Turn it down - turning the thermostat down by 1°C can cut more than 10% from the average central heating bill. Set your water cylinder at 60°C to use less energy.
Layer up - instead of turning the heating up, put on another layer of clothing.
Time it right - time your heating to go off 30 minutes before you leave the house, and come on again 30 minutes before you come home.
Put foil behind your radiators - this will reflect heat back into the room and increase the efficiency of the radiator. Also make sure there is a gap between any furniture and your radiators.
Close your curtains - this will help stop heat escaping through the windows. Don't put your curtains in front of a radiator though - doing so will block the heat.
Mind the gap - keep windows and doors closed. If there are gaps underneath internal doors, use a draft excluder to keep the cold out.
Cosy up at bedtime - rather than having your heating on over night in the winter, use a thicker duvet to keep you warm.
What is City South doing?
City South is doing its part to make your home more energy efficient by carrying out various improvements.
High efficiency boilers - we're in the process of replacing older boilers in our properties with new, high efficiency condensing boilers that can help you save up to a third on your heating bills. Fitting a new boiler can save up to £140 a year, and cut your home's C02 emissions by more than 800kg a year. We have replaced almost 1300 boilers to date.*
Insulating hot water cylinder - where the type of property means we have to continue using older style hot water cylinders we are improving the insulation and energy efficiency of the tank and associate pipes. Fitting a simple jacket on a hot water cylinder can save around £30 per year.
Loft and wall cavity insulation - as much as 15% of your heating costs are lost through the roof. As part of our improvement programme we are inspecting all properties to ensure the right level of cavity wall insulation and loft insulation is in place. Where required we will install or top up insulation in your home. So far we have surveyed 1900 properties and over 950 homes have had insulation installed to date.*
Install double-glazing - one of the key aspects of our £90m improvement programme is installing new energy saving double glazing windows in every property by 2013. Double glazing creates an insulating barrier by trapping air between two panes of glass. It cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by around £110 a year. We have installed new double glazing at 2950 homes so far.
*figures correct as of November 2010
Want more ideas?
There is a wealth of energy saving information online. Take a look at some of the links below to see what else you could do use more and save less!
Energy Savings Trust
Energy Saving Advice
Big Green Switch
Government advice site
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