How green is your home?
Is your home as energy efficient as it could be? Check out our ten top tips from the Energy Saving Trust and Northern Gas Heating to find out how to reduce your carbon emissions and save money on your heating bills.
Is your home as energy efficient as it could be? Check out our ten top tips from the Energy Saving Trust and Northern Gas Heating to find out how to reduce your carbon emissions and save money on your heating bills.
Check your hot water taps. If they're constantly dripping, you could be wasting enough hot water each week to fill a bath. Fix any leaks and make sure all hot taps are fully turned off.nextpage
Most of us have now switched to a 40ºC cycle for our regular washes, but using a half-load or economy programme when the machine isn't full will help to conserve energy too.nextpage
Energy saving light bulbs last up to 12 times longer than normal bulbs. For each light bulb replaced, you could reduce the cost of lighting by almost £80 over the lifetime of the bulb - think how much of a saving you could make for the entire house. nextpage
Don't boil a full kettle each time you're making a cup of tea - only boil as much water as you need, and keep the elements covered if using an electric kettle.nextpage
If you find your water is often too hot, the cylinder thermostat may be set too high. As a rule, your thermostat shouldn't be set any higher than 60ºC, and turning it down by just 1ºC could knock 10 percent off your annual heating bill.nextpage
It seems like obvious advice, but so many of us still leave our appliances on standby when they're not in use. Remembering to switch off your television, DVD player and stereo will help to make your home more energy efficient.nextpage
Drafts and poor insulation can have a huge impact on the cost of your heating bills, not to mention the energy it wastes. According to the Energy Saving Trust, internal solid wall insulation could save £300 on your annual energy bill and conserve as much as 2.4 tonnes of carbon.nextpage
Make sure heat can't escape through the windows in the evening by closing all your curtains. Double glazed windows you could save around £90 on your annual heating bills and conserve up to 740kg of carbon each year. nextpage
Upgrading your boiler could save you anything up to £250 every year, depending on what rating your current boiler carries. Changing from a Low G to an A-rated boiler saves two tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
To find out more about switching to a more efficient boiler and for advice on saving energy around your home, visit Northern Gas Heating or call 0800 083 1000.
