SAVE ENERGY

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                       SAVE ENERGY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Top Tips
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      for saving energy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        C
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 lose your curtains at dusk to stop


                       and cut your bills
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        heat escaping through the windows
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        – ideally tucked behind the radiators.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 lways turn off the lights when you
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        leave a room.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        D
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 on't leave appliances on standby
We help Noreen Howard to make her house more energy efficient                                                                                                                                                           and remember not to leave
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        appliances on charge unnecessarily.


E
        nergy Saving Week takes            significantly cut her home’s CO2                                                                                                                                             I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		f you don’t fill the washing machine,
        place from 22 to 28 October,       emissions, as boilers account for                                                                                                                                            tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the
        so this month we’re focussing      around 60 per cent of all domestic                                                                                                                                           half-load or economy program.
on how to be more energy efficient.        CO2 emissions.                                                                                                                                                               O
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 nly boil as much water as you need
Almost half of the UK’s carbon                Liz also advised Noreen that it                                                                                                                                           (but remember to cover the elements
dioxide emissions, the main                could be more efficient to use the                                                                                                                                           if you're using an electric kettle).
greenhouse gas that causes climate         room thermostat on the wall to                                                                                                                                               A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 dripping hot water tap wastes
change, come from people’s homes.          control the temperature rather than                                                                                                                                          energy and in one week wastes
By being energy efficient we can           relying on the boiler thermostat. The                                                                                                                                        enough hot water to fill half a bath,
help reduce this, and save up to           room thermostat should ideally be
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        so fix leaking taps and make sure
£250 a year at the same time.              set between 18 and 21 degrees C,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        they're fully turned off.
   Noreen Howard told us she would         although elderly and inactive people
like to be more energy efficient. So       may want it slightly higher.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        T
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		 urn your thermostat down.
Liz Fowler, Energy Action Officer for         Thermostatic radiator                                                                                                                                                     Reducing your room temperature
Lewisham Council, visited her at her       valves could also be                                                                                                                                                         by 1°C could cut your heating bills
semi-detached Victorian home in            installed for greater                                    Liz Fowler, Energy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        by up to 10 percent. You could save
Catford to give her some advice.           control. It’s best to                                    Action Officer, advised                                                                                             around £40 per year.
                                           change them when you                                     Noreen that her boiler                                                                                              I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ❂		s your water too hot? Your cylinder
                                                                                                    could do with updating
Trouble spots                              are having other work                                                                                                                                                        thermostat should be set at
Liz’s first point of call is the boiler.   done on your heating                                                                                                           wanT To know more?                            60°C/140°F.
Noreen doesn’t have a conventional         system to keep labour                   lounge for her dimmer switch, but          insulation, lighting, fridges, fridge       For more information, call The SEL Energy
                                                                                                                                                                          Efficiency Advice Centre on
hot water storage cylinder – instead       costs down.                             many energy efficient bulbs can now        freezers, tumble dryers and washing         0800 512 012, or visit
she has a combi boiler, which heats           Noreen’s house has metal window      work with dimmer switches. Check           machines. The latest list of Energy         www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
water only when needed and is a            frames, which were installed in the     on packs for details.                      Saving recommended products can             or email energy@lewisham.gov.uk
great space saver. This is an efficient    1960s. Although they’re double                                                     be found at: www.est.org.uk/
system for heating household water,        glazed, they’re old and energy          Other ways to save energy                  recommended.
but unfortunately Noreen’s boiler is       inefficient as they conduct heat        One easy way Noreen could save               Noreen is planing to use an              change suppliers and doesn’t involve
about 10 years old so doesn’t use the      outside. The single paned front and     energy is by replacing appliances,         electricity monitor to measure how         putting in a new meter or wires. The
most up-to-date condensing                 back doors could benefit from           when they are at the end of their          much energy she is using. But she          only change is that a different
technology. Noreen finds when              draught proofing, and chimney           lifecycle, with energy-efficient ones.     can also reduce her energy bills by        company will send you your
running a bath the heating cuts out,       balloons could be installed to          She should look for the Energy             comparing tariffs from different           bills. Green tariffs can be slightly
which means she sometimes has to           prevent heat loss.                      Saving recommended logo when               energy suppliers. Many companies           more expensive, so check prices with
use an additional fan heater.                 Noreen already uses mostly energy    she next buys an electrical product,       now also have green tariffs, which         suppliers first.
  Replacing her boiler with a high-        efficient light bulbs. Just one can     which guarantees that the product is       are designed to provide as much              To find out more about saving
efficiency condensing boiler with the      save you £60 over the lifetime of the   a top energy saver. The logo appears       electricity as possible from               energy, visit a tariff comparison
correct heating controls could save        bulb and they last around 10 times      on more than 2,000 products                renewable sources, avoiding the            website such as
Noreen up to 40 per cent off her fuel      longer than ordinary light bulbs. She   including integrated digital               harmful emissions associated with          www.uswitch.com or
bills a year. It would also                still uses a normal bulb in her         televisions, boilers, heating controls,    burning fossil fuels. It’s quite easy to   www.simplyswitch.com.


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