How energy efficient is your home?

A few simple changes can make all the difference

Simple actions will reduce both your household fuel bills and CO2 emissions. To make your home as energy-efficient as possible and less expensive to run consider these few simple changes you can make.

Probably the most consistent drain on energy supplies is lighting, especially during winter months. An energy-saving light bulb may be slightly more expensive to buy, but they last a lot longer, produce less CO2 and according to the DirectGov - Act On CO2 can also save up to £60 in electricity over its lifetime. Halogen bulbs usually run with 35 watts of power. Switch lights off not only when you leave the house, but as you leave each room. £140 million a year is wasted through leaving lights on in unused rooms.

You can avoid heating an empty house by using the timer so your central heating is switched off when nobody's home. If you have radiator valves, you can also turn off radiators in rooms that aren’t being used. Turning your central heating down by one degree could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent, according to Act On CO2.

An enormous amount of energy is wasted by washing machines. If you wash clothes at lower temperatures you will hugely reduce your energy expenditure. Next time you buy a new washing machine, or any other appliance, look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Any product carrying this logo has met strict criteria on energy efficiency and will therefore cost less to run and reduce carbon emissions.

Around 60 per cent of domestic carbon emissions are produced from boilers that contribute a huge part to energy consumption. If your boiler is more than 15 years old, then it’s probably time to look for a new one. Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler could save a sizable sum in the amount you pay annually on your bill. A new boiler works by recovering the heat that it would traditionally have wasted, making it around
15 per cent more efficient than a conventional boiler. Annual boiler maintenance is important to ensure that it is kept in good working order.

You could make huge energy savings by installing insulation, or looking into how efficient your current insulation is and improving it. Act On CO2 say you could save up to £120 on your energy bills each year by insulating your wall cavities. Installation can take just a couple of hours for a typical three-bedroom house and can be done from the outside. Half of the heat that escapes from our homes is lost through the walls and the loft. Fitting a brush over the letterbox and keyholes is another simple and cheap measure you can take to prevent further heat loss. Double-glazing and pipe insulation are also highly effective energy-saving methods.

If everyone in the UK switched off unused appliances, Act On CO2 claims it would save £800 million a year. Leaving appliances plugged in and switched on at the socket means they’re still using energy, so by turning off TVs, games consoles and mobile phone chargers at the mains you will save yourself money.