Energy efficiency

The majority of the energy supplied to our homes is produced by the burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal). This is an unsustainable method of producing energy for two reasons 

1) burning fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases which lead to climate change and
2) as fossil fuel availability decreases our energy bills go up.

In St Albans District, household energy use accounts for 46% of our total carbon emissions. This is more than the emissions from transport. By improving the energy efficiency of our homes and taking simple steps to reduce our energy consumption, we can play an important role in tackling climate change. An added benefit is the money saving that comes with it; by making your home more energy efficient you can cut your household energy bill by around £300 per year. There are even grants and subsidies to help you do this.

It really does pay to be green!

1. Understand your home energy use

Do a Home Energy Check

You can find out how energy efficient your home is by completing a simple and free online survey devised by the Energy Saving Trust.  By following the advice given you could save around £300 per year. Complete the Home Energy Check on the Energy Saving Trust Website and the results will be given to you instantly.

Borrow a handheld electricity monitor from the library

St Albans Library and Harpenden Library now stock a selection of handheld, wireless electricity monitors which are available for FREE loan to library members. The devices are simple to set up and are also suitable for Economy 7 users.

These units provide a real-time, instant display of the household electricity used as well as the associated costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Studies show that by using an electricity meter households can reduce energy bills by up to 20% because they are able to identify where energy is being wasted and take action. This scheme will soon be extended to all libraries in the District.

2. Cost-free, simple ways to save energy at home

• Turn your thermostat down by just 1 degree and you will cut your heating bills by up to 10% and save around 300kg carbon dioxide and £55 per year.  
• Only boil the water you need in your kettle. Over-filling kettles vastly increases the energy needed and is literally money poured down the drain
• Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly to ensure they run efficiently. 
• Make sure that your curtains don’t hang in front of the radiators otherwise the outside wall will benefit from the heat instead of the room!
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Choose the right size pans for the food and cooker, and keep the lids on when you cook.
• Wash at 30 degrees. This uses around 40% less electricity than higher temperatures. Modern washing powders are just as effective at lower temperatures. 
• Wash full loads of washing where possible. Use the ‘½’ button for smaller loads.
• Drying clothes can be free! Avoid the tumble drier, especially in summer. 
• Fully turn off all electrical equipment when not in use, or switch off at the plug. Standby functions still use up to one third of the energy used by the appliance when in full use! This could save you up to £37 per year. 
• Don’t leave your mobile phone charger plugged in and switched on when your phone isn’t on charge. This uses nearly as much energy as when the phone is being charged. 
• Place radiator reflectors or kitchen foil behind the radiator, and a shelf above it.  This will ensure that the heat is reflected into the room rather than being lost to the wall or the ceiling

3. Cheap and easy ways to save energy at home

• Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones. These use a quarter of the electricity of normal bulbs and last up to 12 times as long. Despite being more expensive they are a good investment. Each lightbulb changed will save you around £12 in electricity per year so you will get your money back within a year. The range and quality of low energy light bulbs has increased substantially over the last few years so do persevere until you find ones that suits your situation.
• Use thick curtains that are thermally lined. Heavy curtains help to keep heat in. Alternatively get a second pair of curtains from a charity shop to act as lining material. 
• Draft proof your home. This can be as simple and cheap as using rolled up old newspapers to plug gaps or draft proofing strips for doors and windows that are available in most DIY stores.  
• Fit an insulating jacket around your hot water tank. Pre-cut jackets cost from around £5 to £15 and can pay for themselves within a year as they save up to 45% of heat losses. Touch your hot water tank; if it feels warm it needs more insulation!
• If you are unable to install double glazing then there may still be scope to fit secondary glazing on the interior side thus giving you some improvement in insulation.
  

4. Some cost involved, but quick payback guaranteed

• Insulate your home. Improvements in insulation will dramatically increase the energy efficiency of your home. With our current energy efficiency scheme, it could be free (conditions apply) or subsidized from £99. See the Grants and Advice page for further information.

Loft. The loft is the easiest and most cost effective place to start as 30% of your heating costs can be lost through an uninsulated roof. Increase the insulation in your loft to 27cm or more and you will immediately increase the energy efficiency of your home.

Cavity Walls. If you have cavity walls then one very effective way to make your house warmer is to fill these with insulation. Cavity wall insulation will reduce heat loss by around 60%, saving you between £130-160 per year. If every household in the UK insulated their cavity walls it would save £650 million a year - or enough to power 1.8 million homes for the same period.

Solid walls. If you have solid walls it is still possible to improve your insulation levels by adding external cladding or by creating your own cavity with plasterboard for example. There are highly efficient but very thin insulation materials available that will help minimise the amount of internal floor space lost in this kind of improvement.

Insulation materials themselves vary in their ‘sustainable’ credentials. For example, natural alternatives such as warm cell (recycled newspaper) or sheep’s wool products require less energy in their production (sheep’s wool insulation is quite often made from fleece off-cuts and so is in fact making use of ‘waste’) than artificial materials such as fibreglass.

• If you do not have double-glazing and your home is not a listed building or in a conservation area, then it is well worth considering installing this. If you do decide to install double-glazing then consider opting for wooden frames rather than uPVC frames; they are not only more attractive but also better for your health and the environment.

• When buying new appliances such as washing machines, boilers and fridge freezers, look out for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended Logo. Buying energy efficient appliances will save money, energy and water.