Ten top tips to save energy at home
1: Manage home heating
Turning down the thermostat by 1°C can cut your annual heating bill
by 10%. Turn on radiators and heat up hot water only when needed.
Bleed radiators so they perform at their best. If you have a programmer,
set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than
all the time. Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F – and
make sure it’s lagged.
2: Insulate your home
You won’t use as much energy to heat your home if you can keep the
warmth in better. You can call the Home Energy Scotland Hotline free on
0800 512 012 for more information
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows
and check for draughts around windows and doors.
3. Upgrade your boiler
If your boiler is on its last legs, replace it with a more energy efficient
boiler. An A-rated condensing boiler with heating controls could knock
25% off your annual gas bill. The Boiler Scrappage Scheme still runs in
Scotland. Or you may be eligible for a grant to cover the cost of a new
boiler. Call the Home Energy Scotland Hotline free on 0800 512 012 to find
out.
4: Choose low energy lighting
There are two main kinds of energy-saving light bulb available.
Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) light bulbs use far less energy
than traditional light bulbs. Light emitting diode (LED) lights also
use less power and can often run for a long time from a battery,
making them ideal for lighting sheds, under kitchen cabinets and
inside cupboards. Although they sometimes cost more than
traditional bulbs, they last a lot longer – and you’ll make your
money back in electricity savings. One energy-saving lamp might
save you up to £60 over its lifetime. Swap over to low energy
lighting indoors and outside to start saving energy at home now.
5: Switch off lights
Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
6: Switch off, not standby
Leaving appliances on standby saps energy without giving any great
benefit. Switching off and on again only takes a minute or two more
and some newer devices will do it automatically. And saying
goodbye to standby could cut your electricity bill by around 8%.
Remember to turn off chargers as soon as they’ve done their job
too.
7: Boil only the water you need
Fill the kettle for the right amount of cups – though make sure that an
electric kettle is at least at its minimum capacity.
8: Wash clothes at 30°
Your washing powder will do the job just as well, but you’ll cut
electricity use by around 40% each time. Try to only switch on with a
full load – whether it’s the washing machine or dishwasher. Two half
loads will use more energy than a single full load.
9: Buy energy efficient appliances
All appliances now come with energy efficiency ratings. If you need to
buy a new fridge, oven or washing machine, buying the most energy
efficient model you can afford can be a wise buy in the long run.
Check for goods with the Energy Saving Trust Recommended label.
10: Save water
A tap that drips hot water sends the energy – and money – you used
to heat it straight down the drain. Fix leaks and turn off taps. Take
short showers instead of baths. Use a water butt in the garden.
Saving water helps to save energy at home, and can help save you
money too – more than a third of the average cost of heating a home
in Scotland goes towards heating water. So little changes can have a
big effect.
… and remember to look for the label:
Only the most energy-efficient products carry the Energy Saving Trust
Recommended label, making it quick and easy for you to find products
that will cost you less to run, contribute to savings on your energy bill
and help you do your bit for the environment
THE HOME ENERGY SCOTLAND HOTLINE
Save energy at home. Call free now on
Advice and grants
Help with home insulation and even replacing boilers is easy to access
in Scotland – the Home Energy Scotland Hotline can help you to cut
your energy bills and stay warm this winter.
The Hotline is your one-stop shop for energy saving advice and
support. To find out if you can get help with free or discounted
insulation, pick up the phone to speak to a friendly Home Energy
Scotland Hotline advisor.
Universal Home Insulation Scheme
Free and discounted loft and cavity wall insulation is available through
the Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS). Around 200,000 homes
will benefit from the second phase of the scheme, and some parts of
the Scottish Borders are involved at present – but not around
Jedburgh. You can search on the Council’s website for more
information.
Boiler Scrappage Scheme
If you want to replace an inefficient boiler, you can apply for a £400
voucher towards the cost. Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for
information on this and other grants and discounts for energy
efficiency measures.
Energy Assistance Package
If you find it difficult to keep your home warm, you may be entitled to
free insulation as well as other energy saving measures from the
Scottish Government’s Energy Assistance Package. Just call the
Home Energy Scotland Hotline and their friendly advisors will be able
to help.
LOFT INSULATION: How much could you save?
Up to £175 a year by installing 270mm of
insulation if you don’t already have any.
£25 a year by topping up existing insulation
from 100mm to 270mm.
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Heat rises, so loft insulation is especially effective.
If your home has no insulation at the moment,
around 26% of heat is lost through the roof. Loft
insulation is an effective way to save energy and
money and a well-insulated home keeps warmth
exactly where you need it – indoors. And it should
last you around 40 years, so you’ll enjoy lower
heating bills for the long term.
It’s often best to use a professional rather than fit
loft insulation yourself. Insulation has to be
installed carefully around electrical wires, lights
and other equipment to prevent fire.
TANKS AND PIPES
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How much could you save?
£40 a year by adding a hot water tank
jacket.
£15 a year by adding primary pipe
insulation.
Insulate your hot water tank to keep water hot for
longer. You can insulate hot and cold pipes too,
so that your water comes on stream at the right
temperature more quickly. Pipe and tank
insulation are cheap and easy to fit yourself.
You can also buy a cylinder jacket – complete
with sleeves – to pop neatly over your tank. And
you can fit pre-formed foam pipe insulation
around any accessible pipes
WALL INSULATION: How much could
you save?
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£135 a year by insulating
cavities inside your walls.
£475 a year by insulating the
outside of your solid walls.
£445 a year by insulating the
inside of your solid walls.
If your home was built from 1920
onwards, chances are that its
external walls are made of two layers
with a small gap between them.
Filling this cavity can reduce heat
loss. If you have a property with solid
walls you can insulate them on the
inside or the outside.
DRAUGHT PROOFING: How much could you save?
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£30 a year by installing draught-proofing measures.
Using strips and excluders to draught proof gaps around door
and window frames can save you around £30 a year on heating
bills. With gaps filled, less cold air can enter your home.
Several types of materials are used for draught proofing,
including brushes, foams, sealants, strips and shaped rubber
or plastic.
Draught proofing is an easy and cost-effective way for owners
and tenants to reduce heat loss, with most materials available
from DIY stores. Many of the sealant strips are self-adhesive,
and fitting brushes to doors or letterboxes is a simple DIY task.
If you live in rented accommodation, ask permission from your
landlord before doing any work.
Cavity wall insulation is simple to
install, doesn’t cost much and is
highly effective. And with the savings
it will make you on your heating bills
it can pay for itself in around two
years.
Insulating solid walls isn’t cheap, but
it can make a substantial difference
to your heating bills.
Solid wall insulation costs from
£5,500 to £13,000 depending on your
house and what kind of insulation you
have fitted. It can save you up to
£475 a year.
FLOOR INSULATION: How much could you save?
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£60 a year by adding floor insulation.
Floor insulation includes adding insulation under floorboards and using a sealant to fill spaces where floor
meets skirting board to save yourself around £60 each year.
Timber floors can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by
netting between the joists. Be careful not to block underfloor airbricks in your outside walls, as areas
under floors require ventilation to prevent damp and condensation.