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An energy-saving day with LJ

27/11/2014

5 Comments

 
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By Laura Jane Stacey

It's getting to that time of year: the days are getting shorter and colder, heating systems across the country are whirring back into action and it's hard to avoid falling downstairs without flicking the lights on at 4pm. 

So, other than switching everything off and wrapping up in woolly jumpers to read the latest from Bookseller Crow by candlelight, how can we reduce our energy usage at home? Here are some techniques you can try throughout the day. I would love to hear what everyone else’s tips are too, so please comment at the bottom.

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Following just a few of these tips should help you not just save the planet but your wallet too! 


Please get in touch if you have more suggestions - we would love to hear them!
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09.30 Hop in the shower: installing an energy-efficient shower head can save up to 23,000 litres of water a year according to Thames Water. Think how much energy is used to heat that water! Enter your postcode here to find out what freebies you could get to help cut down this wastage. You could also save water and energy by sharing a shower with your significant other – the fun way to save the planet!
10.30 Breakfast:  before you fill that kettle to the top, think about how much you really need: if it's just for one cup, fill your mug with water and plonk that into the kettle so you only boil what’s necessary. Also, use the toaster instead of toasting bread under the grill.
12.00 Put a wash on: check you are washing at 30° - not only will it reduce your energy consumption but it will help keep colours brighter for longer.
12.30 Before lunch, check  your fridge is running as efficiently as it should be. Do you need to defrost the freezer? This is as good a time as any to do it.
13.00 Wash up after lunch: a running tap uses 6 litres of water per minute so instead of rinsing everything under the tap, fill the bowl and use this. If like me you are terrified of putting your hands into dirty water, invest in some rubber gloves.
14.00 The after lunch lull: this is when I tend to spend a questionable amount of time stalking old friends on Facebook…I mean catching up on the news online… Anyway, whatever you're using your computer for, turn the screen brightness down a little. Not so much that you are straining to look at it, but a small change should improve its battery life and mean you get slightly longer out of a fully charged battery. This is also worth trying out on your mobile. If you can charge every other day instead of every day you will halve the amount of energy you are using for charging.
14.30 While relaxing online you may notice a slight breeze coming from the door. Popping a draft excluder down there, or even just a rolled up blanket, will make you feel less tempted to crank up the heating.
15.30 On these grey days, I find it starts to get harder to make out my other half’s features around 3.30pm. If you're popping a lamp on, double check you are using LED bulbs. While they cost a little more up front to buy, you will make your money back and more over the lifetime of the bulb. And as well as using less energy, they need to be replaced much less often so you will be reducing on waste too!
16.30 As the sun starts its descent, close your curtains. English Heritage discovered that curtains pulled on traditional sash window could reduce heat loss by over 40%. Even with double glazing, dropping the blinds can help keep your home warmer. But don’t drape curtains over radiators, as heat will be lost out of the window.
17.00 Time to check if you qualify for free cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Your local council should be able to tell you what you are eligible for: Croydon; Lambeth; Bromley; Southwark  
17.30 Feeling warmer? Try turning your thermostat down by 1°. If this feels fine, pop it down again until you work out the exact right temperature for you. You could also put some cardboard wrapped in tinfoil behind your radiators to bounce all the heat back into the room. If you want to try a more extreme energy-saving technique, turn it right down and put on a jumper, although you may find that friends avoid spending time at your place for the next few months.
19.00 Make dinner. Instead of having three hobs on the go for all your veg, why not try steaming them all over one pot? If you're only heating something small use a small pan on the small hob, rather than wasting energy heating a big pot. Also consider turning the oven off 5 minutes early. It will hold its heat and continue to cook your dinner, but you won’t be wasting precious energy.
20.00 You have two options. 1) Go to the pub. This is an excellent way to save energy as you can turn off all of your lights and use their heating to stay warm! 2) Stay home and watch TV. Do you need the big light on or will the screen and a side lamp light the room enough? Check that any chargers or devices plugged into the wall are switched off, and when you do get sick of guessing who will be next to get the finger from Lord Sugar, make sure you switch the TV off. According to the Energy Saving Trust we waste between £45 - £80 a year leaving appliances on standby. Think what you could be spending that on at the market!
22.00 Top energy saving tip: get an early night! Turn off all of your electrical items, hop into bed and have a cuddle. But make sure your other half gets in first to warm it up a bit.

5 Comments
Frankie McFadden link
23/11/2014 04:25:01 am

All good advice
In answer to your question The Utility Warehouse is a Discount Club. Offer energy, telecoms and discounted shopping to its members. It's similar to the scheme you've been reading about, but we do more than just gas and electricity. I'm more than happy to meet and discuss the benefits with you.
Regards Frankie

Reply
Karen
23/11/2014 11:17:59 pm

If you can't afford double glazing, you can use a product called Stormguard that is a film that you tape around the window and blowdry tight, that becomes a temporary double glazing for the winter. We use it and it works. It costs about £8 for 2 window and it's at Screwfix, Homebase & online.

Reply
Rachel Chance
24/11/2014 03:09:32 am

When we moved into our flat we didn't have any central heating at all and we have no gas supply! I spent ages researching electric heating, in the end (instead of storage heaters), we went for radiators that look at lot like normal gas/water radiators, they have a mixture of radiant and convection heating so are nice and comfortable. But the best bit is that they have a central controller which means that every room can have it's own temperature and it's own time-frame. We have the living room at 20 degrees in the evening, coming on slightly before we get home and going off slightly before bed. Once it' hit's that temperature the radiator switches off (it has sensitivity of 0.1 degrees). Our bedroom is heated to 18 degees between 9.30 and 10.30. We programmed it once and now don't have to think about it. I think you can get the same smart controls and thermostatic radiators in a traditional gas system. I think it can save you around 150 quid a year. We are helped by having double glazing and cavity wall insulation which was installed before we got here. It's lovely living in a warm flat and our bills aer only 50 pounds a month for heating, hot water and all other electrics combined. http://www.electrorad.co.uk/digi-line-radiators/

Reply
Ute
4/12/2014 09:40:05 am

Use a thermosflask type slow cooker! I have had mine for 2 years, and it's fantastic! You bring your food to the boil, then put it in the cooking pan sized thermos flask and the food cooks in the residual heat.

Reply
Chris Smith
5/12/2014 11:54:17 am

very interested in the thermos flask type slow cooker - will investigate

Reply



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