Energy Saving Tips

FUEL COST AND ENERGY SAVING GUIDE – useful tips!

Some people - recently 2500 scientists and many of the rest of us - believe that our carbon emissions are doing some pretty awful damage to our planet causing a change of climate that will have a dramatic effect on the lives of our children and their families. There are others who don’t believe a word of it!

We are not trying to tell anyone what to think! Our main aim at KHI Ltd (0115 949 7606) and http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/ (our on-line store) is to help you to cut your expensive home fuel bills. How? After you insulate you turn down your heating, this cuts your fuel bills (and you produce less carbon).

Our homes are directly responsible for about a third of the nation's CO2 (carbon) emissions. This is through using energy (gas, electricity, oil, coal and such like) for hot water, lighting, appliances and cooking. Of the energy used in our home about 60% is for heating the spaces we live in. From all sources, an average person in the UK is responsible for releasing 9.3 tonnes of CO2 every year - roughly five well filled hot air balloons. The challenge is for each of us to lose 3 of these in the next 20 years AND save lots of money year on year by doing it!

Look at the cost and carbon savings you can make:

Cavity Wall Insulation
Loft Insulation (270-300mm;11-12 inches)
Draught-proofing windows and doors
Fill gaps (floors and skirting)
Hot Water Tank Jacket
Energy saving bulbs
Double Glazing
Thermostat down 1 degree
TV/chargers etc left on standby 8%
Washing machine run @30 degrees
Dishwasher – used once less per week
Tumble dryer - try hanging outside!

Cost saving

£130 -£160pa
£ 97 - £120pa
£20 - £22pa
£10-£20pa
£10-£25pa
£10 each pa
£80-£100pa
£50 -£60pa
(1/12th) of your electricity bill
uses 40% less electricity per cycle
£4 pa
£16pa

Carbon savings (up to)

one tonne (1000kg)
723 kg
140 kg
130 kg
150 kg
140 kg
680 kg
300 kg

52kg
140kg

Fit cavity wall insulation if you have a cavity! Its not as flash as double glazing but its cheaper and much more effective. There are grants available to help you with the costs of doing this – ask KHI about these.
Loft insulation. Make sure your loft insulation is at least 270mm thick. A poorly insulated loft could be losing you up to 26% of your heating costs. Buy DIY insulation from http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/ - our on-line site.
Insulated Wallpaper - for homes without cavities. Saves on fuel costs, cuts carbon emissions, prevents condensation. Buy DIY from http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/
Hot Water Tank Jacket - fit this and save £10-£25 a year on your heating bills. http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/

Fit low energy light bulbs where you can. Each bulb you will save about 140kg CO2 and £10 on your electricity bills each year. They will also last for many years before needing to be replaced. http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/

Draught-proofing windows, doors and your loft hatch (if you have one). Save about 140 kg of CO2 and around £21 a year. http://www.greenplanetinsulation.co.uk/
Central Heating Thermostat. Turn this down just 1 degree and save £50-£60 a year and 300kg of carbon.

Boil only the amount of water you need. Every cup you boil represents 25 cups of CO2 released.
Use the right size pan for the food and cooker ring (the base should just cover the cooking ring) if you can see the heat (either the electric ring or the gas flame up the side of the pan) it's too big and is costing you money.
Cover your pans when you cook. This can reduce the energy needed by up to 90%!

Televisions, videos, DVD’s, stereos, cordless phones, mobile phone chargers and computers all waste energy if you leave them plugged in when you are not using them. A staggering amount of the Nation's electricity bills is spent on stand by and appliances left plugged in when not used, in excess of £230 million! By switching off at the plug when not required you could save up to 8% of your electricity bill. A TV if left on standby will be responsible for 30 kg CO2 over the year. A mobile phone charger if left plugged in when not charging will be responsible for between 35 to 70kg C02 over the year. Always unplug the mobile phone charger when not in use. Feel it, the warmth is caused by the constant consumption of electricity.

Cut down on the use of your dishwasher. This could save you up to £35 over the year. If you have to use it always make sure it’s full and uses a low temperature programme. Every time you use your dishwasher you use enough electricity to release nearly 1kg of CO2. If you use it just once less a week that’s a saving of 52kg of C02 and a saving on your electricity bill of £4 over the year.

Use the 30 degree temperature setting on your washing machine and always wash a full load. Wasting space = wasted energy and pointless CO2 emissions and a higher temperature uses 40% more electricity.
Hang your washing outside on nice days instead of using a tumble dryer. Every time you use a tumble dryer you use enough electricity to emit over 1.5kg CO2. A tumble dryer if used for every wash will be responsible for emitting about 140kg of CO2 and costs you £16 on your electricity bill.

Fridges and freezers: Make sure all food is cooled down before it goes in the fridge or freezer. Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply. Put your fridge in the coolest place you can and if it has to go near any warm appliances (such as cookers or boilers) leave a good gap between them.

Lights - Always turn them off when you leave a room!

Keep curtains as wide open as possible during the day to let the light in but make sure they are drawn at dusk to stop heat leaving your home through the window. If your curtains are above a radiator – tuck them behind it when they are closed. This will keep the heat in the room and not out the window.
Hot water cylinder - if you can, set the thermostat to 60°C/140°F. This can save up to £10 over the year.
If you have the choice, go for the shower (NOT THE POWER SHOWER!!!). Baths use more hot water and will cost you more.