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Top Energy Saving Tips

With the recent announcement of electricity and gas price rises in April for those on standard variable tariffs, there has never been a more appropriate time to save energy at home. Here are some tips suggested by members of the Environment Working Party.

  • If you haven’t already done so, change your light bulbs to low energy ones.
  • Turn off your lights and other electrical appliances when not in use; don’t keep them on stand-by unless absolutely necessary.
  • Only fill your kettle with the amount of water you actually need.
  • Only use your washing machine when you can fill it with clothes and wash at 30o.
  • Hang out your washing to dry in the garden or on a clothes horse indoors rather than use a separate spin drier or tumble drier.
  • Do your washing-up in the sink rather than in a dish washer; saves water and electricity.
  • Close doors and use draught excluders for doors, letterboxes and keyholes. They are a cheap but effective way of keeping heat in during the colder months.
  • Plug any gaps between floorboards and skirting boards.
  • Drop the temperature of your heating system by 1 degree and wear thicker clothes if you’re cold. Focus heating in the main living room.
  • Use heavier weight curtains and linings and draw them at dusk.
  • Use a smart meter to work out the consumption of your appliances; experiment with one household member going around the house turning appliances on and off while another checks the meter.
  • Make sure your home is properly insulated with thick loft insulation and, where appropriate, cavity wall insulation as well. These are sometimes available free from council-run schemes.
  • Have your gas boiler and fires serviced annually. If your boiler is old, change it to a modern condensing type which uses less fuel.
  • Join in one of the monthly virtual “cafes” run by Exeter Community Energy, where you can learn all about making your home as efficient as possible. You can register for them at www.ecoe.org.uk/healthy-homes-wellbeing.
  • Keep a look out for local council saving initiatives, which appear regularly. One of the latest is the Teignbridge Warm Home Fund, which you can find at https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/housing/financial-help/energy-savings-for-homeowners/warm-home-fund/. As always, terms and conditions apply.
  • If you are on a variable rate tariff and find yourself being charged more, consider switching to a fixed rate contract or to another supplier altogether. It’s a good idea to choose a renewable energy supplier, which also cuts out your carbon emissions. As renewable energy is becoming increasingly cheaper than traditional fuels, you can save money too. It’s very easy to do this online at https://uswitch.com/energy.

If you have other tips that you’d like to share, please email them to us at  [email protected].