Is your home costing the earth?
Households could save up to £25 a month and 1.5 tonnes of CO2 a year just by being energy efficient.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, around £8 billion of energy is wasted in the UK every year. This is due to poor insulation, inefficient or badly controlled heating systems and wasted electricity. It’s the equivalent of taking £125 away from every man, woman and child in the UK.
How to heat your home efficiently and economically
Heating our homes and hot water accounts for 13% of the UK’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Our demand could be reduced significantly through energy efficiency measures. Improving the thermal efficiency of your home – its ability to trap heat that warms you rather than the air outside – is key to saving money and CO2.
Start at the top and you could save £150 a year
In an uninsulated house, around 26% of heat loss is through the roof, so insulating your loft is probably one of the most effective – and cheapest – way to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Lagging from scratch with the recommended depth of mineral wool could save up to £150 and 800kg of CO2 a year.
Cut emissions and save as much as £200 with the right boiler
Gas boilers produce up to 60% of the CO2 in a gas-heated home.
One of the most effective ways to cut CO2 emissions from your home is by installing an A-rated condenser boiler. This could save up to £230 a year on bills for a three-bedroom, semi-detached, gas-heated house, and 1,259kg of CO2 a year.
Turning down your thermostat by 1C could save up to £50 annually and 284kg CO2 emissions.
Opt for energy-efficient appliances
Appliances and lights account for 15% of a home’s energy requirements.
Washing machines and dishwashers have become more energy efficient in recent years. Look out for white goods that are energy-saving recommended. Changing an old, inefficient fridge freezer to a new A++ (the most efficient) rated model could save up to £36 a year and 140kg.
Size matters when it comes to your TV screen
The energy consumption of your TV is linked to its size, so smaller TVs generally use less energy. Consider how big a screen you actually need.
Be switched on and know when to switch off
Break the habit of leaving gadgets and appliances on standby. According to Act on CO2, if everyone in the UK switched off unused appliances it could save £800 million a year.
Switching off at the wall could save you £30 and 126kg of CO2 a year. And, you could save up to £10 a year by turning off the lights when you leave a room.
Key facts
- Every year in the UK, each household creates around 5.5 tonnes of CO2 – enough to fill a hot air balloon
- The CO2 emissions arising from the electricity generated to power all of our washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers are around the same as the emissions from 2.5 million cars
- Leaving lights on in unused rooms wastes £140 million a year
Where the energy goes in your home
- 57% heating homes
- 25% heating water
- 15% appliances and lights
- 3% for cooking
Quick link
Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Team Green Britain and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) do not endorse any of the products, companies, organisations, opinions or websites that have been mentioned in this article. The content of this article has merely been provided as background to, or discussion on, various topical issues relating to the environment and it is not necessarily representative of the views of Team Green Britain and LOCOG. Further, any figures and calculations noted in this article are estimates (unless otherwise specified), and may vary in light of numerous factors and readers are advised to undertake their own research in relation to the facts and figures applicable to their particular circumstance.