Energy Saving tips for your home

BathroomWalls and Pipes

By insulating your walls you can save lots of heat and money.

It is very cheap to insulate your pipes and it will save you energy and save you a lot of money.

Hot water

If you have a hot water cylinder in your bathroom make sure it is properly insulated and check the thermostat is set to 60 while you’re about it.

Lighting

If you are getting a light bulb it is better to get an LED light bulb. They last much longer than ordinary light bulbs. Even though they cost more to buy, the money you save is many times more than the difference in cost.

How do energy-saving light bulbs work?

Traditional incandescent light bulbs work by passing an electric current through a thin metal wire, which becomes hot and emits light. Unfortunately, a lot of energy is wasted as heat, while only a small proportion goes towards generating light. 

Energy saving light bulbs are more efficient because most of the electrical energy is used to generate light and very little is wasted as heat.

Halogen lights, which use 20-30% less energy, work in the same way as incandescent bulbs but are more efficient as the metal wire is encased, allowing less heat and energy to be lost.

LEDs, the most efficient using 90% less energy, produce light through the movement of electrons.WHICH? MAGAZINE gives this information about how much you can save.

TYPICAL ENERGY USE OVER 5 YEARS

Wattage of light bulb (W)Low-energy

light bulbTraditionallight bulb

Savings over five years

40W (traditional) or 8W (low energy)

£5.40 £27.00 £21.60

60W (traditional) or11W (low energy)

£7.43 £40.50 £32.40

100W (traditional) or 15W (low energy)

£10.13 £67.50 £54.00

BedroomInsulate your walls and make sure your windows are closed

because you wont need to but the heating on.

Insulating the floor boards saves £60 a year and gives you warm feet in the

winter.

Turn the heating off before you go to bed and then you

can turn it back on so you will be warm in bed but not too

hot. Also use a hot water bottle in bed instead of using

an electric blanket.

Towel dry your hair thoroughly to cut down on the time you use your hair

dryer. .

HallWalls Floor

If your house was built before the 1990’s, it

probably wasn’t built with insulation so you need to

put it in.

If you insulate your floors it will save £60 a

year, It doesn’t cost that much.

HeatingSwitch heating off when

you’re out on a family trip or at school.

AppliancesTurn off machines

when you’re not using them. Don’t leave them on standby.

LightingSwitch off the lights when you are not using them

because you will cut your electricity bills.

WindowsClose your windows to

keep heating in at night to save

electricity.

Walls

Insulate them

FloorFix cracks and lay carpets.

This will stop draughts, save energy and keep your feet

Insulate me!

Thank you

warm.

HeatingCheck if the heating

needs replaced and do if necessary.

AppliancesSwitch off after use to save

water, electricity and money.

LightingUse LED bulbs -although they are more expensive

they last longer

WindowsUse double glazed to save

money as well as insulating them. Blinds and curtains can also help save money.

Living roomWalls

Insulating walls will keep warmth in. It would be

expensive unless you do it while you’re decorating, but

FloorThe floor in the living room is usually the largest area of the house and loses heat fast. If you insulate your floor it will

£££!!!!!!!!!!!

it would work out cheaper overall.

be a cosier and less expensive home.

HeatingLots of houses have central heating, and depending on

how much you use it your bill can become high. So we

have a tip for you: every day set your heating down a little and see the difference. You

will get used to the heat that it is, and should save more.

Home ElectronicsA lot of people have electric goods in their house such as

phones, tablets and TVs. Switch off these electronics

and get some exercise - cheaper and healthier!

Lighting If you are in the house in the summer or light days, switch your lights off.Use energy saving bulbs.

RadiatorsIf you are too hot or are

uncomfortable in the environment, then you can

turn the radiators down instead of opening a window. This saves energy and lowers

your heating bill.

Whole house

WallsYou have to insulate

the walls to keep you warm. Also to keep the heat in.

FloorYou have to keep the floor insulated especially for timber floors as they

are older and need it the most.

HeatingSome people have electric fire

places. if you have one you have to remember to switch it

off when you’re out of the room. Central heating is important to keep you warm but you can put it on a timer and turn it down a

little to save energy.

Appliances You always have to switch off

appliances as it will save energy e.g Television, Phone, laptop, IPod, IPad.

LightingIf you have halogen lights it

would be best to remove them or swap them for LEDS. As LED

is more efficient.

WindowsAlways shut your windows as it will

save heat. And we advise you to get insulation which will make your

heating bill lower and save energy.

An energy story

This is Berty the dragon. His energy bill was high but he found lots of ways to save money by using his energy knowledge.

He saved 8% on energy a year by switching off lights, TV, laptops and other electronics.

He used other eco-friendly ways to make energy such as solar power, wind power and wave power.

But Berty’s amazing idea was, instead of the electric fire place, he went into the forest to get some wood and he set the logs on fire in a place that was safe, and he could easily light it, because he is a fire breathing dragon!!!

Illustrated by Frankie Lee (P4)

Questionnaire 1. Do you switch your lights off at home?

2. What is the most important electronic device to switch off?

3. Why is electricity so important to switch off?

4. Do you switch your devices off at home?

5. What is the most useful electrical appliance?

We hope you can answer all these questions easily.

Written by Lara Templeton and gregor Balmer.

Questionnaire Answer sheet

1. Hopefully yes.

2. The television is the most important device to switch off as it uses a lot of electricity. 3. Electricity is very important to switch off, if you don’t switch it off, it would waste you money also it could set off a fire accidentally.

4. Hopefully yes.

5. This is an optional question.