Stop those draughts - and other tips 

Our Ten Top Energy Saving Tips

 

1. Stop draughts and stop losing up to 20% of your heat

Remember those knitted snakes round at your thrifty grandmother's house? Well, she had the right idea. Add draught excluders to front doors such as heavy curtains, or to the base of doors to unused rooms in your house. Make sure they conform to BS 7386 for fire and safety reasons.

 

2. Change your bulbs

Put in a £2 energy saving bulb and you can save up to £60 over its lifetime. Why? Because it will last up to 10 times longer than an ordinary bulb.

 

3. Close your curtains

Another obvious one, but true. As dusk approaches over the winter months, close your curtains to keep the heat inside.

 

4. Get cosy with electricity

Switch on your electric blanket about half and hour before you go to bed to remove the chill - and snuggle up! Remember to turn it off, though, before going to sleep to avoid overheating. And if it's an old one out of the linen cupboard, it's also best to check your electric blanket is safety compliant as well.

 

5. Put on another sweater

Instead of having the heating on constantly, try putting on another layer of clothing to keep you warm. And get your longjohns out! And thick socks.

 

6. Insulate your cavity walls

Did you know that more heat is lost through walls than any other way in your home? Cavity insulation is cost effective, doesn’t take long to do and pays for itself in less than 5 years.

 

7. Insulate your loft space

We all know heat rises, so why let it keep rising through your roof and outside your home? Install the recommended depth of 270mm and you could save up to £155 per year. And, guess what? It’s easy to do.

 

Just make sure you leave sufficient gaps around the eaves to stop condensation and don’t insulate around water tanks otherwise you’ll have frozen water!

 

Pensioners can also get installation partly paid by the Government.

 

 

8. Do a Home Energy Check?

See how much energy you can save at home by visiting www.energysavingtrust.org.uk Well worth a look.

 

9. Insulate your floor

Do you have timber floorboards? By adding mineral wool insulation underneath could save you about £40 a year. To save another £20, use sealant to fill any gaps between floorboards and skirting. But remember - don’t block any air bricks because this could lead to problems with damp.

 

10. Make your appliances work harder

Buy appliances with the energy saving recommended logo. They use less energy and cost less to run.