Energy saving tips

There are numerous opportunities for saving energy in your home. These broadly fall into three categories:

• no-cost energy saving - largely behavioural
• energy efficiency - ending energy waste from your home
• low energy lighting and appliances - making the most of your electricity

No-cost energy saving

There are many things you can do to save energy that cost nothing. These are often called 'behavioural' methods because they involve us changing behaviour. This isn't always as easy as it sounds, because we tend to do 'bad' things - like switching off the television with the remote control - almost without thinking about it. We need to 'think' about what we do and make a conscious effort to change, so that it becomes a habit. The following are just a few things we can do:

• when making a cup of tea, boil only the amount of water you need - don't automatically fill the kettle
• when cooking, put the lids on pans whenever possible
• turn lights off when they are not needed
• don't leave them on when there's no-one in the room
• don't have windows open when the heating is on; if you want to air a room turn the heating off for half an hour or so
• turn the television off at the set, not with the remote control ('standby') - it is still using electricity when on standby
• defrost your fridge and freezer at least every three months
• hang heavy lined curtains in winter - they help stop draughts and will keep warmth in the room

You can probably think of 101 other things you could do to save energy. If you have any ideas, why not send them in to the energy team (contact details on right) and we will put them on this web page.

You may not save much energy by doing just one thing, but if you do lots of these the savings can mount up. When you save energy you also save money on your energy bills and you will be helping the environment

Tip: think before you buy. Some products cost more money to run than others. For example, if you're thinking about flooring, consider the energy cost. Fitted carpet is expensive to 'run' if you use a vacuum cleaner. Just think about the amount of electricity you might use over the ten years that the carpet is on the floor! Natural stone or wood flooring is not only healthier, but is easily cleaned with a broom - no electricity cost there!

Energy efficiency

Nobody likes waste. And yet all of us waste heat every day through the fabric of our homes. Energy efficiency measures reduce this waste. Most energy is lost through the roof and walls, and the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures are loft and cavity wall insulation. Investment in these will pay for themselves in just a few years, because you will be using less energy to keep your house warm.

Low energy lighting and appliances

Many people are becoming familiar with the energy label that appears on electrical appliances. This label shows the 'energy rating' of the product on a range from 'A' (best) to 'G' (worst). Products with the label include:

• fridges
• freezers and fridge-freezers
• washing machines
• tumble driers
• dishwashers
• light bulbs
• gas boilers
• heating controls

Recent advances in refrigeration technology have led to 'A+' and 'A++' ratings. The higher the energy rating, the less energy it will use and the less it will cost to run.

For more information about the energy label, go to the Energy Saving Trust website.

Tip: in addition to the energy label, look out for the 'Energy Saving Recommended' blue triangle in the showroom. These are tested by the Energy Saving Trust to ensure they meet an energy saving standard.

The energy label has become so well known that it is beginning to appear on cars and from 2007 will appear on houses when they are put up for sale.

Low-energy lighting

Most of us are now familiar with low-energy lamps. These are often 'stick' shaped, which has made them unpopular with some people. However, they now come in all shapes and sizes, including candle shaped and ones that look more like a traditional 'globe'. These lamps have two major benefits, they last a lot longer than the old-fashioned 'GLS' lamps and they are considerably cheaper to run. For example, an 18W or 20W low-energy lamp will give the same level of light as a 100 watt GLS lamp. Having a light on in a living room for six hours in the evening will cost you just over six pence (GLS) or just over one penny (low energy). Multiply this by all the lights in your house and the number of days in a month and you can see the savings mount up!

Some people say a low-energy lamp is not as bright as a GLS lamp. This is often because the low energy lamp takes a minute or so to come to its full brightness - it can be quite dim when it is first switched on. In fact it gives off just as much light, measured in 'candelas' as the equivalent GLS. Also, the light from a low energy lamp is more 'natural' - more like daylight.

The low-energy lamps described so far are known as compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). There are other types of low energy lighting. The most common are fluorescent tubes, often found in kitchens. 'Dichroic' lamps have also become more popular in recent years. These are only really suitable for spotlighting and are often used in shop window displays.

The future of low energy lighting lies with light emitting diodes (LEDs). These use very little energy - far less even than CFLs. They are beginning to appear in torches, patio/garden lighting and even Christmas tree lights! LEDs are tiny and, when carefully arranged in a luminaire, will provide the floodlighting we associate with a 'normal' lamp. However, at the moment they are very expensive.

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