Technology : Energy Saving Trust - top tips
Insulate before you generate
One of the best ways to get started and make a difference how energy efficient your home is, is to insulate your cavity walls. Around 33% of the heat lost in an un-insulated home is through the walls, so insulating them can be one of the most cost-effective way to save energy in the home. Not all buildings are suitable, but if your home was built between the 1920s and 1980s then it could be a candidate for cavity wall insulation and you could save up to £90 on your annual heating bills!
Make better use of your heating controls
You can help make a difference simply by using the heating controls in your home more effectively. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C, by turning down your thermostat could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent. You could save around £40 per year.
Check your heating system to ensure that the controls are as effective as possible. A properly controlled system should have:
(1) A programmer
(2) A room thermostat
(3) A combined programmable room thermostat (instead of separate programmer and room thermostat).
(4) A cylinder thermostat (if you have a hot water cylinder)
(5) Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)
More advanced controls, such as boiler energy managers are also available. Knowing how to get the most out of your current heating controls will benefit you financially and help reduce energy wastage.
What is a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV)?
TRVs sense the air temperature around them and switch the radiator off and on accordingly. They help improve comfort in your home by allowing you to set different temperatures in different rooms. This also helps to save money and energy.
Use your appliances more efficiently.
The average household wastes £28 each year by leaving appliances on standby. Across the UK this is equivalent to the annual output of more than 2 700MW power stations. Households in the UK now spend around 8% of their electricity bill on standby power.
Think about bigger measures
If you’ve done everything you can in your home and want to go a step further, why not think about solar thermal. Solar water heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside your conventional water heater.
For domestic hot water there are three main components
(1) Solar panels or collectors - are fitted to your roof. They collect heat from the sun's radiation. There are 2 main types of collector:
(a) Flat plate systems - which are comprised of an absorber plate with a transparent cover to collect the sun's heat, or
(b) Evacuated tube systems - which are comprised of a row of glass tubes that each contain an absorber plate feeding into a mainfold which transports the heated fluid.
(2) A heat transfer system - uses the collected heat to heat water;
(3) Hot water cylinder - stores the hot water that is heated during the day and supplies it for use later.
For further advice and information on measures which are right for your home or to complete a free home energy check, call 0800 512 012 or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk