Boilers

Replacing an old boiler with a new condensing could save up to £310 a year.

Insulation

Insulating a loft to the recommended depth of 270mm could save up £180 a year

Windows

Fitting double Glazing could save you up to £180 a year

           

 

Walls

Insulating walls with cavity wall insulation could save up to £140 a year. Insulating the inside or outside of the solid walls of older properties could save up to £490.

            

 

Solar Panels

Solar panels Government subsidies on solar panels continue falling, but so do the costs of installation. 3.8kW solar system costing £6,600 could receive feed-in tariff (generation and export tariff) payments of approximately £583 a year, and save £237 a year on electricity bills. The installation cost would be repaid in eight years. The feed-in tariffs will continue for 20 years, index-linked and tax-free. That’s an average return on investment of 7.4pc a year.
Cost: £6,600. Return: £820 or more a year (index-linked for 20 years)

 

          

Other important tips and measures include:

  • Avoiding leaving devices on standby could save between £50-£90 a year
  •  Installing a water-efficient shower head, saving up to £75 a year;
  •  Insulating floors, saving up to £60 a year;
  •  Insulating a water tank, saving up to £45 a year;
  •  Draft-proofing windows and doors, saving £30;
  •  Replacing light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs, saving £30;
  •  Upgrading appliances to energy-efficient models, saving up to£23 a year.

Further ideas that could reduce your energy bills:

  • Try cooking with a halogen oven, its uses 75% less energy than a covential electric oven
  • An unblocked fireplace can loose heat very quickly up the chimney . You can cap your chimney or, if you use it occasionally, block the draught with an inflatable chimney balloon, and this could save you up to £153 a year.
  • Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £65 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
  • Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.
  • Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.
  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
  • Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
  • If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
  • Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you’re using an electric kettle).
  • A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!
  •  Use energy saving light bulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £50 over the lifetime of the bulb.This saving could be around £130 over its lifetime if you’re replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.
  • Have a Energy Performance Certificate done to see how energy efficient it really is.