Helpful tips for saving energy in your home

• Shut doors/windows – keep external doors and windows closed to keep the heat in – and the cold out
• Turn your heating down – reduce it to a comfortable 20 degrees.  Lowering your thermostat by just 1 degree C can knock 10% off your heating bill.
• Programme your heat – get a programmable thermostat or programmable radiator control so you can vary temperature throughout the day, keeping the heat down when not needed.
• Follow the 30 minute rule – set the heating to switch off 30 minutes before bedtime and set it to turn on 30 minutes before you get up in the morning.
• Check your tank, pipe work, valves, flanges and boiler regularly to make sure there are no leaks
• Keep radiators and heaters free from obstructions
• Save hot water – wash your clothes at 30 degrees C rather than 60 degrees C. This will cut down on your electricity and water heating bills and reduce your carbon footprint in the process.
• Draught Proofing
• Service Your Boiler each year and improve your overall efficiency by 10%.  The benefits of an annual service include a longer life and the reduced likelihood of breakdown, added safety and maximum efficiency.  An efficient boiler creates more energy for less reducing your energy costs
• Only heat the rooms you are using – turn off the heating when you’re not there or if you’re going away for a few days
• Have a shower – consider a shower instead of a bath – a shower usually uses about 1/5 of the energy of a full bath.  You might also consider installing a low flow shower head to reduce the amount of hot water being used.
• Go unplugged – leaving some appliances plugged in increases energy consumption.  And 8% of electricity consumed by appliances is used when they are left on standby outputting an extra one million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.  Turn off your phone charger, stereo, DVD and TV
• Low Energy Lighting
• Top Up Attic Insulation
• Insulate Your Home – in a typical home, 20% of all heat is lost through poor ventilation and draughts.  Insulate your house sufficiently to gain the maximum heat from your oil.
• Water Jacket Insulation
• Full-fill Cavity Insulation
• Improve Heating Controls
• Condensing Boiler (Gas and Oil)
• Ground Source Heat Pump 
• Air Source Heat Pump
• Replace Windows Solar Hot Water