Golden Rules Of Saving Energy

With over 53 years experience in the heating trade who better to advise you than the company who’s founder invented the hot water cylinder jacket.

Mr Patrick Butler came up with the idea whilst drinking a cup of tea in his three bedroom terrace in Minworth. He thought “If a tea cosy can keep the tea warmer for longer then why not design a type of tea cosy for a hot water cylinder”. He proceeded to design and produce a hot water cylinder jacket, which he sold in the evenings door to door, adding loft insulation to his energy efficient package shortly after.

53 years later with the cost of gas and electricity continually rising, we should all be looking for ways to help keep the heat in and become more energy efficient, helping us reduce the cost of producing that heat.

With more predicted rises in gas and electricity this year, now is the time to really consider the efficiency of your property.

With the launch of government incentives and the EU directive, renewable energy and energy efficiency is becoming quite complex, therefore we hope that this guide helps to make things clearer.

Here are some simple ways to reduce your fuel bills that are FREE or cost very little:-

• Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% and typically saves around £60 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time

• Water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F

• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.

• Have you gas boiler serviced annually to ensure its efficiency levelsare being maximized

• Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leavelaptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.

• If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

• Only boil 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 in two weeks it wastes enough hot water to fill a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!

• Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £55 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £120 over its lifetime if you’re replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day. Ensure you turn lights off when you leave a room.

• Do a home energy check, you can now get an Energy Performance Certificates from a registered Energy Assessor.

The Green Deal is the coalition governments initiative to support the implementation of energy efficient measures to household and businesses, reducing carbon emissions and supporting the UK’s 2050 emission reduction target.

The Green Deal will enable many households and businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their properties so less energy is consumed and less money is wasted. The scheme offers consumers the opportunity to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes and businesses without the upfront capital costs.

The idea is simple; install new green technology into your property with no up front costs. You will pay back the costs through your energy bill over a period of time. This is unlike a conventional loan because if you move out of the property the bill stays with the property where the savings are occurring and not with the bill payer.

The “golden rule” of the Green Deal is; the expected financial savings must be equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill.

Key to the government’s thinking is that the building stock in Britain is some of the oldest in Europe and to bring it up to date, it needs to be properly insulated. Once the buildings are properly insulated, occupiers will spend less money on heating them.

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