Energy Saving tips for your home Bathroom Walls and Pipes
Hot water
By insulating your walls you can save lots of heat and money.
If you have a hot water cylinder in your bathroom make sure it is properly insulated and check the thermostat is set to 60° while you’re about it.
It is very cheap to insulate your pipes and it will save you energy and save you a lot of money. Lighting
If you are getting a light bulb it is better to get an LED light bulb. They last much longer than ordinary light bulbs. Even though they cost more to buy, the money you save is many times more than the difference in cost. How do energy-saving light bulbs work? Traditional incandescent light bulbs work by passing an electric current through a thin metal wire, which becomes hot and emits light. Unfortunately, a lot of energy is wasted as heat, while only a small proportion goes towards generating light. Energy saving light bulbs are more efficient because most of the electrical energy is used to generate light and very little is wasted as heat. Halogen lights, which use 20-30% less energy, work in the same way as incandescent bulbs but are more efficient as the metal wire is encased, allowing less heat and energy to be lost. LEDs, the most efficient using 90% less energy, produce light through the movement of electrons. WHICH? MAGAZINE gives this information about how much you can save.
TYPICAL ENERGY USE OVER 5 YEARS
Wattage of light bulb (W) 40W (traditional) or 8W (low energy) 60W (traditional) or 11W (low energy) 100W (traditional) or 15W (low energy)
Low-energy light bulb
Traditional light bulb
Savings over five years
£5.40
£27.00
£21.60
£7.43
£40.50
£32.40
£10.13
£67.50
£54.00
Bedroom Insulate your walls and make sure your windows are closed because you wont need to but the heating on.
Turn the heating off before you go to bed and then you can turn it back on so you will be warm in bed but not too hot. Also use a hot water bottle in bed instead of using an electric blanket.
Insulating the floor boards saves ÂŁ60 a year and gives you warm feet in the winter.
Towel dry your hair thoroughly to cut down on the time you use your hair
dryer.
Hall
.
Walls
Floor
If your house was buIlt
If you Insulate your
before the 1990’s, It
floors It wIll save
probably wasn’t buIlt
£60 a year, It doesn’t
wIth InsulatIon so you
cost that much.
need to put It In. Heating
Appliances
swItch heatIng off when
turn off machInes
you’re out on a famIly
when you’re not usIng
trIp or at school.
them. don’t leave them on standby.
Lighting
Windows
swItch off the lIghts
close your wIndows
when you are not usIng
to keep heatIng In at
them because you wIll
nIght to save
cut your electrIcIty
electrIcIty.
bIlls.
Insulate
me!
Walls
Floor Fix cracks and lay carpets. This will stop draughts, save energy and keep your feet warm.
Insulate them Thank you
Heating
Appliances
Check if the heating needs replaced and do if necessary.
Switch off after use to save water, electricity and money.
Lighting
Windows
Use LED bulbs -although Use double glazed to save they are more expensive money as well as insulating them. Blinds and curtains they last longer can also help save money. ££ £!!!!!!!!!!!
Living room
Walls
Floor
The floor in the living room is Insulating walls will keep usually the largest area of the warmth in. It would be expensive house and loses heat fast. If you unless you do it while you’re insulate your floor it will be a cosier decorating, but it would work and less expensive home. out cheaper overall.
Heating
Home Electronics
Lots of houses have central heating, and depending on how much you use it your bill can become high. So we have a tip for you: every day set your heating down a little and see the difference. You will get used to the heat that it is, and should save more.
A lot of people have electric goods in their house such as phones, tablets and TVs. Switch off these electronics and get some exercise cheaper and healthier!
Lighting
Radiators
If you are in the house in the If you are too hot or are summer or light days, switch your uncomfortable in the environment, lights off. then you can turn the radiators down instead of opening a Use energy saving bulbs. window. This saves energy and lowers your heating bill.
whole house
walls
floor
you have to
you have to keep the floor
Insulate the walls
Insulated especIally for tImber
to keep you warm.
floors as they are older and need
also to keep the
It the most.
heat In.
heatIng
applIances
some people have electrIc fIre
you always have to swItch off
places. If you have one you
applIances as It wIll save energy
have to remember to swItch It
e.g televIsIon, phone, laptop, Ipod,
off when you’re out of the
Ipad.
room. central heatIng Is Important to keep you warm but you can put It on a tImer and turn It down a lIttle to save energy.
lIghtIng
wIndows
If you have halogen lIghts It
always shut your wIndows as It
would be best to remove them
wIll save heat. and we advIse you
or swap them for leds. as led
to get InsulatIon whIch wIll make
Is more effIcIent.
your heatIng bIll lower and save energy.
An energy story
This is Berty the dragon. His energy bill was high but he found lots of ways to save money by using his energy knowledge. He saved 8% on energy a year by switching off lights, TV, laptops and other electronics. He used other eco-friendly ways to make energy such as solar power, wind power and wave power. But Berty’s amazing idea was, instead of the electric fire place, he went into the forest to get some wood and he set the logs on fire in a place that was safe, and he could easily light it, because he is a fire breathing dragon!!! Illustrated by Frankie Lee (P4)
QuestIonnaIre 1. do you swItch your lIghts off at home?
2. what Is the most Important electronIc devIce to swItch off?
3. why Is electrIcIty so Important to swItch off?
4. do you swItch your devIces off at home?
5. what Is the most useful electrIcal applIance?
we hope you can answer all these QuestIons easIly.
wrItten by lara templeton and gregor balmer.
QuestIonnaIre answer sheet 1. hopefully yes. 2. the televIsIon Is the most Important devIce to swItch off as It uses a lot of electrIcIty.
3. electrIcIty Is very Important to swItch off, If you don’t swItch It off, It would waste you money also It could set off a fIre accIdentally.
4. hopefully yes.
5. thIs Is an optIonal QuestIon.