Features: Energy saving

Home insurance - Tips & Advice - Green living

Save energy

Energy saving is all-important over the winter period and beyond. Good insulation, draft exclusion and efficient energy consumption could save you substantial sums, as well as helping the environment.

Save energy and reap the rewards

• According to the National Insulation Association (NIA), solving insulation problems could save you up to 48% of your fuel bill a year
• 25% due to installing cavity wall insulation (or around 16-18% for insulation for solid-walled houses)
• 20% due to loft insulation
• 12.5% due to double-glazing
• 10% due to draught proofing
  

Warm Front Grants

Introduced in June 2000, the Warm Front grant and Warm Front Plus grant are Government-funded initiatives for those already receiving some form of benefit. They provide up to £1,500 of energy efficiency and heating measures tailored to your property. For more information and to find out about eligibility, see www.eaga.co.uk

The Energy Saving Trust also has a grants database on its website. It can direct people to the grants/offers available to them in their area and tailored to their circumstances from the energy suppliers, Government and local authority.

Loft insulation

Twenty five per cent of heat is lost through the roof, not through the windows, as many people think - and it is cheaper to insulate the loft than install double glazing. While most UK houses have loft insulation, most should have it topped up to 270 mm for glass wool, 250 mm for rock wool, or 220 mm for cellulose, which are the requirements for new homes. Installation can be complex and should be carried out by an expert, National Insulation Association member using a British Standard product. See
www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk.

Cavity wall insulation

Thirty three per cent of heat is lost through the walls, but fortunately cavity wall insulation is fairly cheap and easy. Most houses built between the 1930s and 1980s have a gap between the two layers of brick in the wall that can be filled with insulation. Local installers should carry out a survey free of charge. See www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk to find a local installer.

The average grant-assisted installation should cost between £100 and £200 and takes a few hours. The insulation is injected from the outside. The work should be guaranteed by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) www.ciga.co.uk.

Solid walls can also be insulated – internally using insulated thermal linings or externally using insulated render and cladding systems.

Central heating

Timed Central heating ensures you only use what you need. Look out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo - see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk - on your boiler and other home appliances.

Lighting

If every home in the UK replaced three standard light bulbs with energy saving ones, it would save enough energy to light UK streets for one year. The energy efficient bulbs last up to 12 times longer than their energy inefficient counterparts and can save you up to £78 over the bulb’s lifetime.

Energy suppliers

The Government's Energy Efficiency Commitment means energy suppliers of a certain size operating in Great Britain are obliged to help achieve targets for improving home energy efficiency. The suppliers therefore provide a range of offers which significantly reduce the cost of installing energy efficiency measures. What's more, you can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of who supplies your gas and electricity.

Many energy suppliers can provide you with an energy service contract. This means they carry out efficiency boosting, money-saving measures such as cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, or adding a new boiler and energy efficient lightbulbs. You sign a contract to stay with that supplier for up to five years – the costs should balance and the advantages are permanent.

There are more than 60 energy suppliers in the UK. Independent gas and electricity watchdog Energy Watch provide advice as to the best on 0845 906 0708 or at www.energywatch.org.uk.

Energy Smart tips

The Energy Sharp campaign, run by Energy Watch and Ofgem, provide these Top 10 tips for saving energy in your home:

• Don’t leave appliances on standby
• Replace regular lightbulbs with energy efficient ones
• Close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows
• Fit draught excluders around doors and windows. Taping polythene to window frames is a cheap alternative to double glazing
• Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently
• Only use the dishwasher and washing machine on a full load
• Only heat areas of the house you’re using
• Place an insulating jacket over the hot water tank, saving up to £15 per year
• Don’t overheat using the central heating - one degree lower can equal 10% less fuel consumption
• Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle

Contact the Energy Saving Trust’s network of local Energy Efficiency Advice Centres for further advice on 0800 512 012 or by going to www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.