How Green Is Your Home?

How Green Is Your Home?

Whether you are living in your own home or you are a tenant, have you often wondered what you could do to help reduce not only your carbon footprint, but also your escalating utility bills?

An Energy Performance Certificate will give you advice on how you can save energy, both though your day to day behaviour as well as by making improvements to your property.

Some Easier and Cost Effective Ways to Save Energy:

Install Low-energy light bulbs
These last up to 12 times longer and use around 80 per cent less energy than traditional filament bulbs.

Install Hot water tank jackets
These cost from around £10, and can cut heat loss by around 75 per cent.

Top Up Your Loft insulation
Fitting insulation that is at least 250mm thick could cut heat loss by around 30 per cent.

Consider Cavity Wall Insulation
If you have unfilled cavity walls, installing insulation could cut heat loss by over 30 per cent.

Some Examples of More Expensive Measures, which take longer to reap the benefits from.

Consider Double Glazing

Consider Modernising Your Heating Systems
An older boiler is far less efficient than a new one.

Behaviour changes
By simply considering the way you live and use your home can improve your energy efficiency.

Heating and Hot Water
Check that your heating system thermostat isn’t set too high (21 degrees C in the living room is suggested), and use the timer or programmer so you only heat your home when necessary

Make sure your hot water isn’t too hot. Your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set higher than 60 degrees C/140 degrees F

Consider Radiator Temperatures
You may want to install Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV’s) to your radiators.

Lighting and Appliances
Try to turn off lights when they aren’t needed, and don’t leave appliances on standby.

Don’t leave chargers (eg for mobile phones) turned on when you aren’t using them.

For more advice on saving energy visit the Energy Saving Trust website or to measure the size of your Carbon footprint visit the CO2 Calculator: