Saving Energy At Home

Stop your £££ leaking out of your home.
Saving energy saves money.

Cooler homes are cool
First, turn down the thermostat. 21*C should be plenty. Many find that they can get by on 16*C.
It depends quite a bit on where your theromostat is located.
Remember, the aim should be to stop your house getting cold and damp.
It is not necessary that each room should feel WARM - just not cold.

Putting on an extra layer of wool is good. Wooly jumpers, wooly hats. And wooly gloves with no fingers are good for operating the computer.

You will find that as you get more fit through more walking and cycling, you will be less sensitive to cold.

If you are overweight, you may find that a cooler house helps you to lose weight, since you will burn up fat to generate internal heat.

If you have a fireplace, you may find a cheap or free source of local wood to form a living fire in the evening.

Insulating

Most homes have a couple of inches of fibreglass in the attic, and that's it.
2" is not good enough. Modern standards need the equivalent of 10".
Specially treated newspaper is probably the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way of insulating.

Contact your local authority for advice on support for insulation.

It is not just the loft. See if you need cavity wall insulation. Again, there is support available.

Double glazing is probably not cost effective. There are plastic films that can be applied to windows, and heavy well-fitting curtains are effective - but make sure that the curtains to not cover the radiator - lift them up to rest on the window ledge.

There may be an initial cost which you may not yet be able to afford. If so, start saving money towards this cost. You may find that tax rebates, legacies and gifts come in that will take you to a position where you can pay. Make this a priority - the sooner you have energy efficient home, the sooner you will be saving money.

Shut doors, (including fridge doors) windows and fit draught excluders.

Cut down on power usage

Remember every time us switch on an electrical appliance, a series of pennies are rolling down into the meter.
It is not really necessary to vacuum the whole house every day, as some do. Once a week should be fine. And use a brush on shiny floors - not the vacuum.

If you have a tumble dryer, use it only if it is absolutely out of the question to hang washing outside.

Avoid using electrical heaters - that is the most expensive and inefficient way to heat a home.

In the Bathroom

Showers use less water than baths. If you don't have a shower, you can take a shallow bath by running just 1" of water in the bath and taking a quick wash.

After bathing, use a flannel or sponge to knock the drips off before using the towel. That way the towel doesn't get so wet, and you get less condensation in the house - so less heat escape through open windows.

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