You can use the following links to take you to information on this page on how to save energy in your home:

• No cost energy saving tips
• Low cost energy saving tips
• Insulation, heating and windows
• Appliances
• Help is available to improve the energy efficiency of your home

Why save energy?

Using energy efficiently is important for a number of reasons, including:

• Energy used in the home releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - this has been linked to climate change and global warming. Every household in the UK creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Heating and hot water are by far the largest use of energy within the home.

• Not saving energy is a waste of money - nearly £5 billion is wasted on energy in the UK every year. This is enough to give every man, woman and child £84 a year. In fact, the average household could save around £200 a year by taking energy efficiency measures. This is equivalent to a saving of around two tonnes of CO2. 

No Cost Energy Saving Tips

1. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping.
2. Reducing your heating thermostat by 1°C when you are too warm could save you around £40 a year.
3. Water needn't be heated to a scalding temperature. Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60°C or 140°F.
4. Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
5. Defrost fridges and freezers regularly to keep them running efficiently.
6. Don't put hot or warm food straight into the fridge - let it cool down first.
7. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room empty.
8. Where possible, position your fridge or freezer away from cookers or heaters.
9. Use the right size pan for the food and cooker hob.
10. Keep saucepan lids on - this enables you to turn down the heat.
11. Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
12. Use a kettle to boil water for cooking.
13. Make sure you turn your taps off fully and fix any leaking taps. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath.
14. If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
15. Avoid over-filling the kettle for just one drink but be sure to cover the element.

Low Cost Energy Saving Tips

1. Stop draughts! By fitting simple draught proofing materials to your windows and doors yourself, you can save around £20 a year and you will feel more warm and comfortable in your home. You can also draught proof the gaps between wooden floorboards and skirting boards by applying a tube sealant to the gap, which could save you an additional £10 to £20 a year.
2. Fitting a thick insulating jacket to your hot water tank will help keep your hot water hotter for longer. A hot water tank jackets costs around £10 and could pay for itself in under a year.
3. Hot water pipes can also lose heat right the way along, so insulate them wherever you can. Insulating hot water pipes could save you up to £10 a year.
4. Use energy saving light bulbs. Just one can save you £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary lightbulbs so you can save over £60 over the lifetime of each bulb.

• Remember your safety!
  Gas, oil and solid fuel appliances need fresh air to function properly and safely. So if you are using such appliances never block off ventilation in the rooms they are in!
  

Insulation, heating and windows

1. Cavity wall insulation is one of the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures you can take in the home. In most houses built after the 1930s, the external walls are made of two layers of brick with a gap between them. Uninsulated cavity walls can add up to a third on your heating bill! Insulating your cavity walls is quick and straightforward, and could save you £130 to £160 a year.
2. You could be spending up to 30% more than you should be on your heating bills if you don't have any loft or roof insulation. Adding a 270mm (10.5 inches) layer of loft insulation can save you £180 to £220 a year.
3. Condensing boilers are the most efficient type of boiler as they waste the least amount of energy. They convert around 90% of the fuel they use into heat, compared to 60% for an old conventional boiler. Replacing an old boiler with a condensing boiler could save you up to 30% on your heating bills.
4. By upgrading heating controls you will improve the efficiency of any central heating system, and cut your energy wastage and costs by up to 17%. 
5. Poorly insulated window frames and single-glazed windows account for up to 20% of the heat loss in the average home. Fitting double glazing helps to reduce heat loss and can cut your heating bills by £80 to £100 a year, as well as reducing noise and condensation.

 Appliances

To pick out energy efficient appliances from the pack, look out for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo. The distinctive blue logo can be found on anything from fridges to tumble dryers, to dishwashers and light bulbs.  It is a sure sign that the appliance being bought is one of the most efficient in its category.

Washing machines, Tumble dryers and Dishwashers

• An energy efficient washing machine uses a third of the energy of an old, inefficient model and cuts water consumption considerably
• Using a 40°C wash cycle rather than 60°C means you use a third less electricity.  Reduce the wash to a 30°C cycle and the amount of electricity saved (not to mention money) will be even higher.  Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures so unless you have very dirty washing, bear this in mind
• An energy efficient dishwasher will cut energy wastage by nearly half on non-efficient models.  When using your dishwasher or washing machine, it's better to wait for a full load, or use the economy cycle if your machine has one
• By buying an efficient tumble dryer, you can cut energy wastage by almost a third.  To save further energy, avoid trying to dry really wet clothes - wring or spin-dry them first.  Not only will the clothes dry faster, you will save money.

Refrigeration

• Buying an energy efficient fridge freezer to replace your inefficient one could cut carbon dioxide emissions produced indirectly by your home up to 228Kg a year
• An energy efficient fridge freezer uses nearly a third of the energy to do the same job as a 10-year-old appliance - that's a saving of up to £35 a year.

Source: Energy Saving Trust  - all statistics correct at 15/06/07 

Help is available to improve the energy efficiency of your home

To make sure that all residents can get help to save energy and to make their homes warmer, the Council has set up its own home energy advice service - DHEAS.   Its aim is to provide free, impartial advice and information to all Derby residents on ways to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The Service also raises awareness of grants and other schemes that could benefit homeowners, landlords and tenants. 

• Download our Scheme Sheet 165Kb, for information on the latest grants and discount schemes.
• Download our Energy Saving Tips  394Kb, for information on how to save energy in your home.

You will need Acrobat Reader to view and download pdf files. This can be downloaded by visiting the following link: Adobe Acrobat Reader

Contacting us

We are happy to give you advice on the efficient use of energy. You can get more information by calling our advice line on 01332 255622 or you can email us by using this link: Derby Home Energy Advice Service.