Environment

Home Energy Efficiency

What is energy efficiency?

Making sure that electricity and heating are used in a way that produces the least possible waste and makes the most of the energy generated, thereby costing the user the least possible amount.

Why is energy efficiency important?

Environment
Saving energy and using it efficiently is important because the way we produce our electricity and heating is harmful to the environment.

Currently the vast majority of power stations burn fossil fuels in order to produce energy. This process produces harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, which are commonly known as greenhouse gases. These gases build up in the atmosphere in such large quantities that much of the sun’s heat is unable to escape through them creating a greenhouse effect around the world.

The world therefore is beginning to heat up, an effect that is known as global warming, and this is causing changes within the world’s climate. Even in this country we are starting to see the effects of climate change, with more flooding in the winter and longer periods of drought in the summer.

Saving money
By not using the energy in our homes efficiently we are wasting money. An uninsulated, poorly heated home could be costing the householder hundreds of pounds of money that they needn’t be spending.

In severe cases this may mean that the householder cannot afford to heat their home to a comfortable and safe level. Either they choose to spend their money on heating and sacrifice other necessities or they live in a cold home.

Living in a cold home poses a serious health risk and it is estimated that 80% of the 40,000 excess winter deaths that occur each year are due to the underlying cause of the cold. For more information on the problems and solutions for those who cannot afford to heat their homes please click here.

Why is Bedford Borough Council involved in energy efficiency?

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995
The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) was introduced in1995. It sets a target for all local authorities to reduce domestic energy consumption by 30% within a 10-15 year period (by 2011). Local authorities are required to report on their progress with respect to this target each year.

Our progress to date
The Ninth HECA Progress Report for Bedford Borough Council was submitted to the Government Office for the Eastern Region in September 2005. The Council has currently achieved a 14.4% decrease in energy consumption within the Borough.

What can I do to make my home more energy efficient?

Insulation
Installing insulation in a house is a good way of ensuring that the heat stays in your home and therefore you need to heat it less, but still have the same level of comfort.

There are various ways a house can be insulated, though what can be achieved in a particular home is dependent on its particular construction.

Cavity wall insulation
If your home was built after 1945 it will most likely have cavities between the outside walls, which can be filled with an insulation material. Installing this kind of insulation could save you up to 25% on your fuel bills. (N.B. If you are unsure whether your walls are suitable for cavity wall insulation you can ask a professional Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) installer to check for you)

The installation is simple – a professional installer injects the insulating material into the external wall by drilling a series of small holes. The material itself can vary from foam to mineral wook (rock or glass to polystyrene beads), depending on your property and budget.

Loft insulation
Another place where a large amount of heat from your home can escape is through the roof. Therefore, putting insulation in a loft can save about 25% off your heating costs and keep your home warmer. Even if you already have insulation in the roof the current standards are now 250mm/10” depth so why not top it up to save as much energy and money as possible?

Loft insulation can be installed yourself by talking to your local Builders Merchant of DIY specialist, though always remember to include good ventilation to avoid condensation and subsequent wood rot. Alternatively loft insulation can be installed by a professional.

There are three types of loft insulation:

1.    Blown mineral wool/blown cellulose fibre
2.    Mineral wool quilt
3.    Loose fill

(N.B. Only the latter two types can be DIY installed.)

Hot water tank and pipe insulation
Insulating your hot water tank is simple and will keep your water hot for longer, therefore saving energy and money. British standard ‘jackets’, which can be found in any good DIY store, cost from around £10 and are easy to install.

If you already have a jacket but it is less than 75mm/3” thick then it is worth fitting another round it or replacing it altogether to make the most savings.

Finally you can save more energy and money by insulating your hot water pipes wherever you can – especially those between the boiler and the hot water cylinder.

Draught-proofing
Heat can be escaping through gaps around windows and doors and where pipework enters you home so sealing these draughts can make your home feel more comfortable as well as saving energy. Simple and effective draught-proofing materials can be located via your local Builders Merchant or DIY store and fitted yourself.

Important – ventilation:
Without ventilation your house will become stale and stuffy, especially if you have solid fuel fires, gas fires or an open-flue boiler – so sweep chimneys regularly and check your airbricks for blockages.

Kitchens and bathrooms suffer the most, so while it’s fine to draught-proof internal doors, you should leave kitchen and bathroom windows alone to prevent condensation. If condensation persists, try fitting an extractor fan. Also, always remember to open windows while cooking, running hot water, or drying clothes indoors.

Further information:

Insulation grants and discounts
For information on the best deal for cavity wall or loft insulation in your home you can use the Cocoon scheme which is run in partnership with Milton Keynes Energy Agency. Call 0800 80 48 777 or visit www.cocoonyourhome.co.uk. You can also download a copy of the Cocoon leaflet at the bottom of this page.
General energy efficiency information
For further information on how to be energy efficient at home, as well as details of the grants and discounts available to assist with this, visit the Energy Saving Trust website at www.est.org.uk or call the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.

Heating
Full gas central heating is the cheapest and most efficient form of heating in most properties. However, to make the most of your heating system it is important to have and use the appropriate controls. If your property is not on the mains gas the best form of heating is electric storage heaters on Economy 7 electricity.

You can cut central heating costs by up to 17% simply by controlling your heating more effectively through addressing these four elements:

Room temperature
The temperature of stored hot water
On/off times for heating and hot water
Switching off the boiler when heating is no longer required

Your controls should be able to react to changes in temperature, provide different levels of temperature in different rooms, and be able to switch your heating and hot water on and off when you want it. The control system should also prevent your boiler from providing heat unnecessarily.

Types of controls

Timeswitch or programmer
Room thermostat
Thermostatic radiator valves/TRVs (individual radiator controls)
Hot water cylinder thermostat

Which controls should you have?

The more control you have, the greater the energy and financial savings you’ll realise off your current heating bill.

A full control package includes a room thermostat, cylinder thermostat, timer/programmer, motorised valves, TRVs and upgrade of your central heating pipework to a fully pumped system.

What does it cost and how much can you save?

	Full controls	TRVs	Room thermostat
Cost of fitting by installer	£150 - £250	£75 - £100	£110 - £140
Annual saving	£50 - £60	£10 - £15	£20 - £25
Costs recovered	2 - 5 years	5 - 10 years	4 - 7 years

(savings are based on a gas heated semi-detached house with three bedrooms)

Boilers
There are four main types of modern boilers using gas, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or oil:

High efficiency boiler
Conventional boiler
High efficiency combination boiler
Conventional combination boiler

As with other appliances, boilers are given an average seasonal efficiency rating from A to G. This tells you how your boiler performs over the year. This special labelling scheme is called SEDBUK (Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK) - more information can be found at www.sedbuk.com or ask your installer.

When should you change your boiler?

If your boiler is 15 years old or more, replacing it with a new high efficiency boiler can save you around a third on your heating bills straight away.

You’ll need professional help to replace your boiler. Work must be carried out on gas appliances by an installer registered with CORGI (the Council for Registered Gas Installers). For oil-fired appliances it is recommended to use an installer registered with OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum industry).

Other types of heating systems
If you have a smaller, well-insulated property, you may not need full or even partial central heating. You might find individual heaters cheaper to install and run, or you could consider gas fires, convector heaters, electric storage heaters or solid fuel stoves.

For further information:

Warm Front grants
There is a national grants scheme available to householders who own or privately rent their home and are in receipt of a qualifying benefit for heating improvements to their home. For more information go to www.eagagroup.com/grants/warmfront/index.htm or call 0800 316 2808.

Electric storage heaters
These work by storing heat during off-peak periods when electricity is cheaper, and releasing it into the room the following day and evening. You might have to adjust the input control to anticipate the following day’s weather, although some storage heaters have their own thermostats which do the job for you.

Lighting
Energy saving light bulbs produce light using a fraction of the electricity needed for ordinary light bulbs – which means they last up to 12 times longer, and go on saving you money year after year.

Just like the plain old equivalents, energy saving light bulbs come in standard bayonet and screw fittings and a variety of shapes and sizes. The latest versions look exactly like ordinary bulbs Because they use just a quarter of the energy of traditional light bulbs to create an equivalent amount of light, energy saving light bulbs come in much lower wattages:

Ordinary bulbs	Energy saving bulb equivalent
25W	6W
40W	8-11W
60W	13-18W
100W	20-25W

The best place for light bulbs
The best place for energy saving light bulbs is where you have your lights on most often and for the longest period. For example, outside security lights, hall or landing lights, living room lights and kitchen lights.

Energy saving light bulbs don’t work with electronic sensors, dimmers and timers, so always check the manufacturers instructions first.

Cost
Energy saving light bulbs do cost more than ordinary bulbs because of the sophisticated technology they use. However, prices have come down as they are more widely used and the cost is recovered quickly with the savings you make.

For example, replacing a 100W bulb with 20W energy saving bulb gets the following results*:

Cost	£5
Savings	£7 per year in electricity or £65 per bulb over a typical lifetime (including the cost of the bulb)
Time for costs recovered	7 months

*All the information is based on a 20W energy saving light bulb used for 1,275 hours per year with a 12,000 hour lifetime and an electricity cost of 6.6p/kWh. An ordinary light bulb has an average life of 1,000 hours.

Energy Efficiency Tips:

Central Heating
Turn the thermostat down by 1 degree. It could cut your heating bills by up to 10%.

Hot Water
Set the cylinder thermostat at 60C/140F which is fine for bathing and washing. Saving: up to £10 per year.

Curtains
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

Lights
Always turn off the lights when you leave a room – and adjust your curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible during the day.

TVs, videos, stereos, computers, cordless and mobiles phones and electric toothbrushes

To cut down on wasted energy, avoid leaving appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

Fridges and freezers
Don’t leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as this will let cold air out. Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge; allow it to cool down first. Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply. If it tends to frost up quickly, check the door seal.

Washing machines and tumble dryers
Always wash a full load – and if you can’t, use a half-load or economy setting if your machine has one. Always use a low temperature programme bearing in mind that with modern washing powders this will be just as effective. Wring out or spin-dry clothes before putting them into the tumble dryer. It’s much faster and will save you money.

Dishwashers
Always wash a full load – and if you can’t, use a half-load or economy programme if your machine has one. Also try and use the low temperature programme.

Pots and Pans
Choose the right size pan for the food and cooker (the base should just cover an electric cooking ring) – and keep lids on when cooking. With gas the flames only need heat the bottom of the pan. If they lick up the side then you’re wasting heat.

Kettles
Heat the amount of water you need – and make sure you cover the element. Jug type kettles need less water as they have smaller elements.

Taps
In just one day, a dripping tap can waste energy and enough water to fill a bath. Make sure they’re off.

Renewable Energy
If you are interested in installing renewable energy systems in your home, please visit our renewable energy pages and to find out more about assistance with planning and installing a system, click on this link for information on the Council's partnership with the Energy for Good scheme.

Cocoon flyer front ( 1127 Kb ) - DOWNLOAD

Cocoon flyer back ( 987 Kb ) - DOWNLOAD

Grants and Discounts for Energy Efficiency Cocoon Scheme ( 58 Kb ) - DOWNLOAD

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