Greener home, cheaper home
Energy savings could save you more than £300 a year – and your planet will love you too.
Everyone knows switching off lights and boiling only the water you need in your kettle are quick ways to make small daily savings, but here are a few more savvy tips.
Insulate your home
• The Warm Front Scheme has a budget each year for home owners to help with the cost of better heating and insulation systems. Proper insulation can save you as much as £180 every year. Go to http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018661?CID=MTB&PLA=warmfront&CRE=lowincome for more information.
• Make sure your hot water tank has a jacket on it. If yours has a jacket but it’s old and falling off, bear in mind that a new one costs about £12 and will save you money.
Switch off, don’t ‘standby’
• Did you know that the bigger the television screen, the more electricity it uses? Not leaving items on standby alone will save you £30 a year.
• Each energy saving lightbulb you use could save you as much as £60 in its lifetime.
Smart heating
• Turn your central heating down by just one degree – barely noticeable but it could reduce your heating bill by as much as 10 per cent.
• Dodge draughts. PVC sealant is easy to use on those little gaps in doors and windows that let in the cold.
Savvy tip
To work out how much your household could save and to work out your family’s carbon footprint, check out the Act on CO2 website. Here you can also check out how much fuel costs for different cars.
Pass it on – 10 Future Friendly tips
Check out useful Less Waste More Reward changes that you can make inside and outside your home.