Quick wins

The following suggestions from The Centre for Sustainable Energy  (CSE) based here in Bristol show a number of low cost ways of making your home more energy efficient.  www.cse.org.uk/tips


INSULATION

A well insulated loft keeps the heat in – like wearing a warm coat on a freezing cold day. Your loft should have 270mm of insulation (about 12 inches), any less, and your expensively bought heat will leak out, costing you money and making your home colder
Most hot water tanks fitted in the last 20 years will have been ‘factory insulated’ and are probably OK in terms of insulation. If your hot water tank is either un-insulated or has a badly fitting old lagging jacket then you should definitely replace it. New jackets are cheap and you’ll save money quickly.
If your home has cavity walls, they should be insulated. This will save you around £110 a year on your fuel bills and make your home more snug. There are also ways to insulate solid walls, but it is more expensive

For Grants available in Bristol - Bristol Energy Efficiency Scheme

Open to residents of Bristol City Council only, this scheme offers

  • Free cavity wall and loft insulation for those over 70 and in receipt of certain benefits.
  • Those over 60 can get free cavity wall insulation with loft insulation from as little as £149.
  • Everyone else qualifies for heavily discounted insulation with cavity wall from as little as £149 and loft from £179.

For a free no-obligation survey, click here to contact or call free on 0800 082 2234

 

DRAUGHTPROOFING

What’s coming through your door? Keep out those icy winds with brush seals and draught strips for your front and back doors. Don’t forget your letterboxes and keyholes, and you can also plug the gaps between floorboards, around skirting boards and seal chimneys too. Well fitted, thermally lined curtains can also reduce heat loss.
 

HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS AND DOORS

Double glazing cuts heat and could knock around £140 a year off your heating bills. But it’s expensive and may not be worth it in your particular case. ‘Secondary glazing’ is where a second layer of glass or clear plastic is fitted inside an existing window frame behind the existing pane of window glass; it is cheaper to install but not so effective. Having brushes installed onto the sides of existing sash windows is another way of improving what you already have.

 

A RATED APPLIANCES

If you’re replacing your fridge, freezer, washing machine, dish-washer or kettle, look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo. A-rated appliances will save a lot of money. Your fridge is on all day, every day, so you want it to run as efficiently as possible.
 

HEATING AND HOT WATER SYSTEMS

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) allow you to have different temperatures in different rooms, and to turn off the heating in rooms that aren't used. They’ll reduce your heating bill and save you money. Bleeding your radiators - releasing any air trapped in them - improves your heating efficiency instantly. Hot water can flow into every part of the radiator, so it does a better job of warming your room.
 

Boilers account for around 60% of what you spend in a year on energy bills. Old boilers are not energy efficient and if yours is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing it for a modern condensing boiler. An annual service will also make sure it is running efficiently.

 

LIGHTING

Five low-energy light bulbs use about the same amount of electricity as just one ordinary bulb. They can shave a lot off your electricity bill. What’s more, they last up to 10 times longer, saving up to £45 over each bulb’s lifetime.