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 Save power and money September 2004 Almost every household in the UK is guilty of wasting energy. Jane Attwood takes a look at how we could be more energy- efficient and save money It is not only industry, planes and cars that guzzle energy and emit CO2 into the atmosphere; 28 per cent of the carbon dioxide produced in the UK comes from the fuel burnt to power our homes. The government plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. If you take measures to use energy more efficiently in your home, it will not only help to achieve this target but could also cut your energy bill by up to £200 a year. Plug the gaps The most energy-wasting culprits in our home are the walls and roof. According to the Energy Savings Trust (EST), set up by the government to address the effects of climate change after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, an incredible 33 per cent of heat is lost through the walls of an uninsulated home. Fitting cavity-wall insulation, where insulating material is pumped into the gap between the inner and outer wall, is one simple solution to this problem. The work takes only a few hours and costs £300–£400. Potential savings on your heating bill are £70-£100 each year, so it pays for itself quickly. Furthermore, Heather Peacocke, spokesperson for the EST, says: “If everyone in the UK installed cavity-wall insulation, we would cut CO2 emission by nine million tonnes or enough to fill nearly 51 million double- decker buses!” 
If your property was built after 1990, it will already have this insulation to comply with building regulations. Properties built between 1930 and 1990 might have a cavity, and those pre-dating this do not. When you buy your home, you are normally told in the survey whether insulation has been fitted or not, but if you are unsure, there is a simple way of finding out. “The brickwork is an indicator. If the pattern alternates between lengthways and endways, it is a solid wall. If the bricks are all laid lengthways, it will have cavity walls,” explains Matthew Rhodes of Encraft, which provides advice on using sustainable systems in the home. Keep your hat on To put a lid on your heat before it escapes through the gaps in your roof, lay a 250mm-thick layer of insulation in your loft. It can be mineral wool, fibreglass or even a recycled paper product. It costs around £200 for a professional to lay it or you can buy your own insulation for about £4 a roll from a DIY store. “If you do it yourself, the cost of the materials can be made back in two or three years. There’s a very good return on your investment,” says Ian Byrne, deputy director of the educational charity National Energy Foundation (NEF). The great escape If you have rattling, old windows, warm air will be escaping as cold draughts enter. “Eighteen changes of air an hour in a house is typical,” says Terry Nash, managing director of Gusto Homes, a developer of environmentally sustainable housing. “Our houses are as airtight as possible, so they have only three or four changes an hour.” About 20 per cent of the heat lost from an average home occurs through the windows. You can rectify this by installing secondary or double-glazing and draught excluders for doors and letterboxes. This could save you up to £40 a year on your heating bill. The heat is on We all like to be warm and cosy in the darkest depths of the British winter, but if your boiler is 10–15 years old, it is likely to be inefficient. Replacing it with a new energy-efficient condensing boiler means heat that normally escapes up the flue is caught by an extra heat exchanger. As the vapours cool they condense and can be utilised. According to the NEF condensing boilers can cost £100–£300 more than a conventional one, but they should save you this extra cost in as little as four years. Whichever type you update to, you’ll make a saving. “Replacing a 15-year-old boiler could save you over 20 per cent on your fuel bills, or 32 per cent if a condensing boiler is installed,” advises Peacocke. Fitting a hot-water-tank jacket is also an effective way to keep your water hot for longer, thereby saving energy. The right white goods Another way to reduce the amount of energy you use is to buy energy-efficient appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, fridge freezers and electronics. An energy-efficient washing machine uses a third of the energy of an old, inefficient model and also cuts water consumption considerably. Equally, an energy-efficient fridge freezer cuts energy consumption and can save you £35 a year on your electricity bill. All appliances should display EU energy consumption labels and to spot those with a top rating easily look out for the blue Energy Efficiency Recommended logo. For a list of retailers who supply energy-efficient products, visit www.saveenergy.co.uk/ appliances Comet is one such retailer. A spokesperson from Comet explains: “We operate a rating system on all appliances, which rates their energy efficiency. The ratings run from A through to E (A being the most energy-efficient). The rating system is explained clearly on tickets on all white goods so that customers can make an informed purchase.” She adds: “Energy-efficient products are generally more expensive than non-energy-efficient alternatives – although in the long run you’ll end up saving money on your bills.” Byrne agrees that you can make significant savings but says: “In most cases, A-rated products cost only a little more, if anything, than less efficient ones.” A shining example How many people does it take to change an energy-efficient light bulb? Only one, of course, and only after an incredible 8,000 hours! Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use far less energy than traditional filament bulbs, as much more energy is converted to light instead of heat. They last up to 12 times as long and can reduce your energy bill by £7 a year. They do cost about £5 to buy, but the cost is offset by the amount of energy, and therefore money, saved in its lifetime (see graph). To use even less energy on lighting, also employ task or accent lighting, which directs light to a particular area needed; keep windows clear and clean; and decorate with light-coloured paint and materials to reflect natural light. Capture the elements If you want to go one step further, consider installing technology to harness renewable energy. You can heat your water using solar panels or use photovoltaic (solar) cells or panels to convert the sun’s rays into electricity. A wind turbine, a rainwater harvesting system or an air-management system to reuse heat in the home are other options. Some of these have higher layout costs than other measures but save significant amounts of energy. “Our houses, which use all these systems – solar panels, water harvesting, air management, etc – use an estimated 50 per cent less power than those without,” says Nash. Alternatively, check with your power supplier if you can change to a green tariff, where they commit to use a certain level of electricity from renewable sources. There are even suppliers who only use renewable sources like Green Energy. A helping hand You could also be eligible for financial help to improve the energy efficiency of your home, which can even be used to help towards the cost of low-energy lightbulbs. The government provides grants through the Warm Front scheme, mainly to those on benefits and the elderly. Local councils and energy suppliers also offer discounts, and you don’t always have to be an existing customer of a supplier to take advantage of their offers. To check what grants might be available to you, contact your council or supplier individually (www.direct.gov.uk has an A-Z list of local councils) or use the EST’s grant finder tool on its website. Byrne offers homeowners some advice: “Firstly, take every opportunity to upgrade to something energy-efficient. Secondly, if you like DIY, look at the simple jobs you can do, like laying loft insulation. If you’re not a keen DIY-er, take advantage of some of the discount schemes around.” And remember, as well as saving you cash, making your home energy-efficient will also add value to your home, as buyers will want to save money on their bills, just like you.
Contacts For your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, call 0800 512012 Energy Savings Trust – www.saveenergy.co.uk National Energy Foundation – www.natenergy.org.uk and its renewable energy website – www.greenenergy.org.uk Gusto Homes – www.gusto homes.com or 01636 894918 The Ecology Building Society for mortgages on green builds and renovations – www.ecology.co.uk or 0845 674 5566 Council of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) – 01256 372200 National Insulation Association – 01428 654011 Glass and Glazing Federation – 020 7403 7177 Draught Proofing Association – 01428 654011 British Photovoltaic Association (PV-UK) – www.pv-uk.org.uk Ecotricity – www.ecotricity. co.uk or 01453 756111
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