Energy

Find out more about saving energy, money and the environment. Energy efficiency ideas and advice for your home can be obtained from the Energy Efficiency website (opens in a new window).

What is energy efficiency?

Being energy efficient is about making the best use of the energy resources we have by reducing the amount of energy we need for heating, lighting and running appliances in the home.

For a home that is behaving badly by wasting energy, there are a number of solutions to reduce that waste and make your home more efficient and cheaper to run.

Domestic appliances

The number and type of appliances we have in the home has greatly increased over the last decade but new energy efficient household appliances with an energy rating of A - C use less energy to run than older less efficient models. Retailers are required to show the European Union Energy label by law, to display their energy rating.

Energy efficiency in the home

Insulation

Loft and cavity wall insulation can keep valuable heat in by reducing heat loss through your roof and walls. You may find you can turn down the room thermostat and other heating controls as a result and use less gas or electricity to heat your home.

For solid wall properties, insulation can either be applied inside or outside the wall. Fitting thermal board (plaster board with a layer of polystyrene insulation) onto the inside of external walls is the most popular way of reducing heat loss from solid brick walls. Insulating this wall type is on the whole more expensive than insulating cavity type walls.

Control your heating

High efficiency condensing gas boilers can achieve seasonal efficiencies of up to 90%. In comparison, a standard gas boiler will achieve 75/80% seasonal efficiency, which means a condensing boiler is able to provide more heat for the same amount of fuel burnt compared with a standard boiler.

A Combination type of condensing or standard boiler provides instantaneous hot water direct from the boiler and removes the need for a hot water tank. A heating system can still be efficient with a tank, as modern hot water tanks are available that hold less water. This means less water is stored because the water can be heated more quickly to meet demand.

Having adequate controls on your heating system (with an efficient boiler to match) such as a programmer/timer on the boiler and thermostatic radiator valves, will allow you to control how much you need to use in different rooms and at different times of the day and ultimately how much you will spend on heating your home.

Tips

If you replace an old boiler with a high efficiency gas boiler, you can expect to save up to 30 per cent on your annual gas bill.
If you turn your central heating thermostat down by 1°C it could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent.
Set your hot water cylinder thermostat to 60°C/140°F. This temperature should be adequate for your hot water needs.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
Always turn lights off when you leave a room.
Don't leave appliances on standby.
Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary.
When using a washing machine always try to wash a full load and use a low temperature when possible.
Keep lids on saucepans when cooking - this tip will cook the food evenly and the heat can be turned down.
Only heat the amount of water you need when using the kettle.
Repair those dripping taps to avoid wasting water.

Low cost!

Fit energy saving lightbulbs in your home and use a fraction of the electricity. They will last up to 12 times longer.
You can eliminate draughts and wasted heat by using easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal to exterior doors.
Insulate your hot water tank and the hot water pipes. You will cut heat loss and get your money back within a year!
Have more showers than baths to reduce the amount of hot water you use.

Some cost!

Insulate cavity walls and reduce the heat loss of your home by 35 per cent. It's not as expensive as you may think with plenty of low cost insulation schemes to choose from.
25 per cent of the heat is lost from the roof space so fitting 10 inches/250mm of loft insulation will stop valuable heat escaping and save money on your heating bill.
Replace an old boiler with a high efficiency gas-condensing boiler and fit heating controls such as thermostatic radiator valves to control the temperature in each room. You could reduce your heating bills by 30 per cent if replacing an old heating system.
Make sure windows are draught proofed to cut those uncomfortable draughts. (Double-glazing is not cost effective in terms of energy efficiency but will cut heat loss and those troublesome draughts).
When buying a new fridge or washing machine, buy an energy efficient 'A' rated appliance.
Ensure you have adequate ventilation for your boiler and your heating system is regularly serviced. This will ensure your system is safe and will remain efficient for as long as possible.

For further information relating to home energy efficiency you can contact:

Kay Kent
Home Energy Efficiency Officer
Housing Renewal Team
Environmental Health
Merlin House
Merlin Way
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 4RA

Tel: 0115 9316061
email: kay.kent@erewash.gov.uk

Information on other websites

Energy Saving (opens in a new window)

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