Energy Saving Advice
Midland HIPs also advises on sources of available energy efficiency grants for improvements such as loft and cavity wall insulation or even solar panels. The outlay on an EPC can soon be paid for many times over in savings on energy bills, plus how much better does it feel to live in a house with a good Green rating.
"Saving energy is the easiest and cheapest way to cut emissions", the Chancellor Alistair Darling said in the April 2009 budget. He announced an additional £435m in support for energy saving measures for homes and public buildings. This should result in even better grants and allowances for energy saving activity; we will update this site as information is released.
The Energy Saving Trust is an excellent source of energy saving advice (0800 512012). It is a non-profit organisation which provides free impartial advice tailored to your circumstances and requirements. Look at their Carbon cutter calculator to work out your current carbon footprint and find ways of reducing it. Also on the Energy Saving Trust website is a page where you can search for all available energy saving grants and offers.
Heating
Heating accounts for nearly 60% of your home's energy use, so it is the first priority for introducing energy saving measures. Turning down your thermostat temperature by just one degree can reduce your heating bill by 10%. Heat only the rooms you use and fit room thermostats and individual radiator thermostats. This could save you 15% per year in your heating bills.
Insulation
Increase the insulation to your house. Contact your local council about their grant schemes or contact the Energy Saving Trust. Insulating a loft can save over £150 a year, cavity wall insulation a further £120 and solid wall insulation nearly £400.
Double glazing can cut heat loss by half. Modern low-E, argon-filled double glazing could save you over £100 per year in heating bills.
Upgrade your boiler
A new condensing boiler could save over 30% on annual bills; with the addition of comprehensive thermostatic control and the figure could be up to 40%. Ensure your water tank is fitted with a British Standard 7.5cm jacket. This will cost around £10 and save around £15 a year.
Save electricity
Stop using 'standby'. If we all turned items off at the plug, enough electricity would be saved to turn off two large coal-fired power stations.
Use low-energy lightbulbs These have now come way down in price and each one could save you about £10 a year. They last many times longer too.
Use a microwave. A microwave uses on average 800 watts, compared with 2000 watts for an electric oven. Using an 800-watt microwave for 10 minutes will consume 133 watt-hours. Using a conventional electric oven for 30 minutes will consume 1,000 watt-hours.
Buy only A++- rated equipment. All new electrical equipment comes with an energy rating. Choose the most efficient, particularly with items such as fridges, washing machines and dishwashers.
Use a laptop not a desktop PC. Laptops use about 15-25W less than desktop machines, which could save you £20-£40 a year. Computers in standby or even in sleep mode still use 20-60W, so turn them off whenever possible. Use an inkjet printer; a laser printer consumes three times the energy. Set-top boxes use as much energy as a television itself.
Install an energy meter
There's nothing like seeing in detail the electricity you are using to make you focus on reducing your consumption. Smart energy meters tell you exactly how much electricity you are using and how much it costs. Most allow you to display weeks of data in chart and graph form.
Renewable energy
Solar hot-water systems are the easiest and cheapest form of renewable energy to be installed in domestic houses. A solar hot-water system can halve your hot water costs over a year. For more information, call the Centre for Alternative Technology on 01654 705989.
Ground-source heat pumps take heat from the ground, put it through a heat exchange and convert it into heating for your house. It works best with under-floor heating in a well-insulated house.
Wind turbines require good wind speeds and no turbulence from tall buildings or trees, so only work well in an open area or on higher ground.
For more information, contact Midland HIPs today on 0800 612 6208.
