Fact: homes use a lot of energy. But it’s also a fact that most homes also waste a lot of energy with an estimated £8 billion worth of energy wasted annually in the UK.
Nearly one third of all the UK’s energy is used by homes. So if every home cut down on wasted energy, it would save huge amounts of money and significantly reduce the environmental impact of energy use. That’s why, along with everyone else, you can make a real difference and with surprisingly little effort.
Become energy aware
The easiest way to avoid wasting energy is simply to become energy aware. You’ll quickly realise where improvements can be made.
For example, turn things off when not in use, only boil as much water as you need, only use a washing machine or dishwasher when you’ve got a full load, put a jumper on rather than the heating and so on. All common sense, but you can see that it only takes a little effort to change bad habits and make a difference.
Then there are home improvements you can do such as installing draught-proofing and insulation, using timer controls, choosing a greener electricity supplier, considering a solar water heating system or other renewable sources of energy. Learn how to read your electricity meter, or install a whole house energy meter so that you can see for yourself what it costs to boil a kettle or leave your TV on.
Creating an energy efficient home
As this site shows, energy saving electrical products can significantly reduce your bills and lower your carbon footprint. And you’ll find the initial cost of making most home energy improvements will be repaid with interest in the savings you’ll make.
Having an energy efficient home could also make it easier to sell, especially with Home Information Packs (HIPs) likely to be required to include more of this kind of information.
For further ideas visit Sust-it’s energy saving database.
