Energy Saving Tips
Save Energy Without Spending A Penny
- Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent, the recommended temperature for a living room is 21°C and if you are going away during the winter, leave the thermostat on a low setting to provide protection from freezing.
- Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.
- If you have storage heaters, remember to close the damper or output dial (sometimes called the boost) before you go to bed or if you go out during the day. This stops the release of heat when it is not needed.
- Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows, making sure that they do not cover your radiator.
- Do not put furniture in front of a radiator as it absorbs the heat instead of it spreading into the room.
- Lighting accounts for 15% of our electricity bill. Don't light rooms that aren't in use, always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Don't leave appliances like televisions and computers on standby and remember not to leave appliances like mobile phones on charge unnecessarily. Things left on standby are still using electricity and could be using 20% of your electricity per year.
- Remember to use the 'half load' or 'economy' setting on your washing machine if you do not have a full load. Also, all modern detergents are designed to clean successfully at 40°C and there is no need for a pre-wash. Washing at 65°C requires twice as much energy.
- Only fill your kettle with as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
- A dripping hot water tap wastes energy, so make sure they're fully turned off!
- Always put the plug in your basin or sink. Leaving hot water taps running with it removed is like washing money down the plughole.
- Choose the right size pan for the food and cooker and put lids on pots when cooking. The food cooks quicker, which saves energy, and releases less moisture into the kitchen.
- Don't leave fridge and freezer doors open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape and avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge; allow it to cool down first, otherwise the temperature rises in your fridge and put other food in the fridge at risk.
- Freezers or fridges that are filled with frost work harder to stay cold. They should be defrosted at least once a year or more frequently if they regularly frost up.
Energy Saving - Spend a Little and Save a Lot (Under £10)
- Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
- Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too.
- Gaps in floor boards and skirting boards allow heat to escape and let in draughts. Fill them with newspaper, beading or sealant.
- An insulating jacket for a hot water tank only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. Fit a British Standard jacket that's at least 80mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year.
- Hot water pipes should be insulated to stop heat escaping. The best pipes to insulate are the ones between the boiler and hot water cylinder.
Energy Saving - Big Improvements, Huge Savings
- Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy and you can even install it yourself.
- Around 33% of the heat lost in your home is through the walls, so insulating them can be the most cost-effective way to save energy in the home - you could save £130 to £160 on your annual heating bills! Cavity wall insulation will also keep you cool in the summer and warm in winter. It's straightforward, inexpensive and hassle-free.
- Clackmannanshire Council, working with Scottish Gas are offering homewoners discounted loft and cavity wall insulation. The scheme also offers a reward of at least £75 when you have insulation installed. For more information phone 0845 971 7731 and quote reference CMS.
- If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new boilers must now be of the high-efficiency condensing type. They can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls.
- Your home could be losing up to 20 per cent of its heat through single glazed and poorly insulated window frames. With double glazing you can actually cut these losses by over a half.
- When replacing appliances, look for ones displaying the energy saving recommended logo. The Energy saving recommended logo appears on a wide range of products including fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, light bulbs, light fittings, gas boilers and heating controls.
Contact information
For further information about this page please contact:
Home Energy Officer, Housing
Lime Tree House, Castle Street, Alloa, FK10 1EX
Tel: 01259 450000 Fax: 01259 452400
Email: housing@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form.