These days anyone who has to pay an electricity bill will tell you that the costs are only going up and up. Therefore, if you could make any sort of saving why wouldn't you?
Simple changes in how you heat your home or how you use appliances around the house can not only help the environment and reduce carbon emissions but can also save you a good deal of money on your household bills.
Follow these simple tips to start the process...
Heating & Insulation
- How many times have we heard ‘Turn down you heating by 1’C ‘. Would you believe that by turning down your heating by that 1’ you could save 10% on your heating bill!
- Fit thermostatic radiator valves (TRV’s) to your radiators. These will allow you to reduce the temperature of your rooms accordingly.
- Service your boiler regularly. This will help maximise your boilers efficiency and reliability.
- Install more insulation and draught proof your home. Insulation in the home can reduce heat loss by up to 40%! Insulation will keep the heat in your home for longer and pay for itself in 2-3 years. Insulate your walls and attic properly and if possible replace ordinary windows with argon filled, double-glazed windows.
- Fit a lagging jacket on your hot water cylinder. This will help keep your water hotter for longer and reduce heat loss.
Appliances & Lighting
- Use energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs) - Not only do they last up to 15 times longer than ordinary bulbs, CFLs use 80% less electricity.
- When buying a new appliance try to buy the most efficient one you can. Higher rated energy appliances will cost less to run and over time will give you considerable savings on your electricity bill.
- Unplug appliances when not in use e.g. your TV and phone charger. Equipment on stand-by uses up to 20% of the energy it would use when fully on.
- Don’t overfill your kettle – Only boil as much water as you need (but make sure to cover the element!). Reducing the surplus water boiled by just four cups a day can save up to 29.0 kWh per year = €5.25 = 15.92 kgs CO2. This is about the same CO2 saved if you reduced your car usage by 100km in a small family car.
- You should try to only use the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. A half full machine uses the same energy as a full one. Reducing the wash temperature from 60’C to 40’C can save the same amount of CO2 as reducing your car usage by 380km! Also try to use ‘economy’ programmes on your dishwasher and washing machine.
For more information on carbon emissions in Ireland and what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint visit SEAI's PowerOfOne.ie.
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