YHN Green Guide

Your ok o b d n ha ing to sav at y mone home

Green Guide

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Contents

Page

What is a “Green Guide”?

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Energy saving ideas

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1. Make sure your home is insulated

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2. Turn down the heat

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3. Switch off the lights

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4. Use your appliances efficiently

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5. Cooking and Cleaning

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6. Do not leave things on standby

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7. Washing and Bathing

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8. Get a water meter fitted

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9. Switching energy supplier

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10. Home Environmental Visit

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What is a “Green Guide”?

We all like to do our bit for the environment, but as household bills rise, there is now even more reason to reduce the amount of gas, electricity and water we use.

Making a few small changes in your home could cut your energy and water bills by around £180 a year- who wouldn’t want that?

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) has produced this short guide to saving energy and water to help you do just that. It includes tips on improving energy and water efficiency and information about switching energy supplier – hopefully you will soon start making savings on your utility bills.

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Energy saving ideas 1. Make sure your home is insulated YHN is insulating properties using loft and cavity insulation where possible. This significantly reduces heat loss through the wall and roof of a building.

If you think your home has not been insulated you can contact YHN to check this and find out if you can get an upgrade of the insulation.

Please note, some properties cannot be insulated using traditional loft or cavity wall insulation techniques, but we are looking for other ways to improve these homes.

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2. Turn down the heat You can make big savings by reducing the amount of energy you use to heat your home or using your heating more efficiently. Turning your thermostat down by 1˚C can save up to 10% on your heating bills- that could be up to £50 a year!

It is important though that you do not let your home get too cold – this will cause condensation and mould which could damage your health. The recommended temperature for a living room is 21˚C, while a bedroom should be 18˚C or above.

If the weather is not too cold, set your timer so that your central heating only comes on when you are at home. During really cold weather, leave your heating on a low level by turning down your thermostat.

If you are going out in the

evening or going away for a few days, set the thermostat to a low temperature such as 13˚C. That way you will reduce your heating bills without the risk of your water pipes freezing up or having damp and mildew develop.

Once you have warmed up your rooms, keep the heat inside by closing your curtains when it gets dark and cold outside.

This stops heat escaping through the windows. You can place draught excluders at the bottom of internal doors – this will make rooms feel warmer (please do not use draught excluders which are screwed directly onto doors).

If you do not know how to use your thermostat, programme your heating or operate your storage heater controls, contact YHN for help.

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3. Switch off the lights Energy saving light bulbs are available. They use up to 80% less electricity and last 10 times longer than a standard bulb.

Using energy efficient light bulbs is no excuse for leaving lights switched on in rooms that you are not using.

Switch lights off as you

leave an empty room and you could save up to £20 a year. If you are in the habit of leaving a light on overnight in your child’s room or on the landing, use a low energy nightlight. They are cheap to buy, cost very little to run and give off a reassuring glow.

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4. Use your appliances efficiently

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Do not be wasteful about how you use your appliances and when you buy new appliances choose products that have a good energy rating. For example an A++ rated fridge freezer could cost £30 less a year compared to a C rated one, or £70 less compared to a G rated one!

5. Cooking and Cleaning Refrigeration Regularly defrost your fridge and freezer to keep them running efficiently.

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and freezer away from cookers, radiators or heaters.

You could also use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your fridge is at the right temperature and not using too much energy.

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Cooking When making toast it is better to use a toaster than a grill – this will save a lot of energy and money.

When you are boiling a kettle only boil as much water as you need.

Saucepans will heat up faster if you cover them with a lid.

You should also match the saucepan size to the size of cooker rings on your hob, so try to use bigger pans on bigger rings. It is even better to use a steamer and cook three or four different things together.

Planning ahead will mean you waste less food and if you do have leftovers, they take less energy to reheat than cooking an entire meal from the start again.

Washing To save electricity, water and washing powder, only put your washing machine on when you have a full load. One full load uses less energy than two half loads. Set your machine to 30˚C or 40˚C instead of 60˚C and you’ll use a third less electricity.

6. Do not leave things on standby Most households add around £40 to their annual bill by leaving appliances on standby. Turn off electrical appliances completely by switching them off at the plug.

Do not leave mobile phones and laptops charging longer than you need to, unplug them as soon as they are finished charging. As a simple rule, if a charger is getting hot it is wasting energy, so switch it off!

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7. Washing and Bathing As a general rule baths are more expensive than showers, using more water that must be heated.

However, it is important to note that taking a shower for longer than 5 minutes actually uses more hot water than most baths, so it is important to keep showers short.

If you get a home environmental survey we can identify if you would benefit from water saving measures and arrange to get these fitted. More information is provided in section 10 on this offer.

8. Get a water meter fitted Fitting a water meter at your property could save you money by making sure you only pay for what you use.

It will not save energy on its own, but it might help you and your household to waste less water and reduce energy costs through having to heat less water for showers etc.

If you have not made any savings after the first 12 months of installing a water meter you can switch back to the unmetered tariff. There is

also a special reduced tariff called ‘WaterSure’ for vulnerable customers who are supplied by meter and need to use large volumes of water due to their personal circumstances.

To find out more contact Northumbrian Water by telephone on 0845 733 5566 or visit www.nwl.co.uk.

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9. Switching energy supplier One of the best things you can do to reduce your energy bills is to check with your energy supplier that you are on the best tariff they offer. To get a better deal you should also consider changing your supplier.

All Customer Service Centres and the West End, East End, Outer West, Gosforth, Cruddas Park and Walker libraries offer support to residents wanting to find their ‘Energy Best Deal’ and switch energy supplier.

Finding the best deal

Staff at these libraries are trained to help so you can drop in to get assistance if you have not got internet access at home or are unsure how to switch energy supplier.

There are lots of ways to find out about the best energy deals available, but the easiest is to go online and use a comparison website.

Typing “energy bills comparison” into a search engine should bring up useful sites. It is a good idea to check at least two comparison websites before switching and make sure the comparison site is approved by the ‘Consumer Focus Code of Confidence’.

You can also contact energy suppliers directly but remember that most suppliers will only tell you about deals they can offer you, not how they compare to other companies!

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Alternatively you can find your ‘Energy Best Deal’ at the City Library at the following times: • Monday – Friday: 11.30am – 12.30pm • Saturday: 10.00am – 11.00am • Sunday: 11.30am – 12.30pm If you owe a large amount to your utility supplier you may not be able to switch.

You should also make sure that your energy bills are based on actual meter readings rather than estimated usage. You should contact your energy supplier to provide updated readings.

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If you are struggling to pay your energy bills you can contact the Energy Services at Newcastle City Council for help. They offer a free advice and support service to Newcastle residents. For more information contact the Energy Services directly by phoning 0191 278 3427 or email: energy@newcastle.gov.uk You may also be eligible for the Warm Home Discount, which is taken off your electricity bill. To see if you qualify contact your supplier or go to: www.newcastle.gov.uk/ environment/energy/warmhome-discount

Or you can talk to a YHN Advice and Support worker by calling your local housing office.

YHN’s Financial Inclusion Team also work with new tenants giving advice on energy providers, switching suppliers, insulation, water meter applications and changing from prepaid to credit meters.

To find out more call YHN on 0191 278 8600 and ask to speak to the Financial Inclusion Team.

The information you’ll need to switch energy supplier If you are thinking about changing your energy tariff or supplier you will need to tell the supplier about your existing account.

These are the steps you will need to go through: i. You will need to know who your existing supplier is and what tariff you are on – you will find this on your bill. It will also be useful to have details on how much energy you used in the last year. The best way to work this out is by using bills based on actual meter readings not estimates.

You will also be asked for your postcode and details of how you pay your bills at the moment. You should get a discount if you pay by Direct Debit. Online tariffs are normally the cheapest.

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ii. When you have found an energy supplier that meets your needs contact them and they will agree a contract with you.

They will contact you again to make sure you still want to go ahead with the change. iii. Once you have signed up, they will let you know what to do if you change your mind and how you can cancel the contract.

The transfer can take about six weeks. Your new supplier should keep you informed about how things are progressing and advise you when the switch is complete. Your energy supply will not be disrupted during this time. iv. You will need to give your old supplier 28 days’ notice that you intend to switch. Your new supplier will usually do this for you.

Remember that your existing supplier will want you to pay any outstanding bills before any switch can take place. v. It is important to take a meter reading on the day the energy supplier changes. You can use this to check that your final bill has been calculated correctly.

10. Home Environmental Visit You can arrange a visit to your home by a trained officer to give you more in depth advice about how to save energy, as well as advice on other environmental topics like water saving. During this visit we will be able to assess your home for other ways we can help you make your home feel warmer, and save energy and water.

To arrange a home visit contact Investment Delivery on Freephone 0800 091 1256.

Information source All information in this leaflet has been sourced from the Energy Saving Trust unless otherwise stated.

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Right to Buy

这是有关租客有权购买他们的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致

Bengali

YHN Rent general/Homes Tenancy People

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Zvn‡j GB bv¤^v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633 电 0191 278 8633 索取。 Z_¨ nj BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj mg‡Ü| Ges Avgiv wKfv‡e `vwqZ¡ cvjb KiwQ †m mg‡Ü| BDi †nvgm0191 wbDK¨vmj, + GB 這是關於您的租金賬戶的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 278 这是有关您作为纽卡斯尔市政租客所需要承担的责任的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语 wbDK¨vmj wmwU KvDw݇ji c‡¶ KvDw݇ji Ni evox e¨e¯’vcbvi `vwqZ¡cÖvß| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb 8633 索取。 fvlvq cÖ‡qvRb nq Zvn‡j v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633 言版本，请致电 0191 GB 278bv¤^ 8633 索取。

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Chinese Simplifi ed

普通话／国语

Right to Buy YHN general / Homes + People Tenancy

Chinese Traditional

廣東話／粵語

Newcastle Furniture service

YHN general / Homes + People Rent

這是關於我們的出租服務的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 0191 278 Ces informations concernent le service « mobilier » de Your Homes Newcastle, qui fournit du mobilier 8633 索取。 aux locataires pour les aider à s’installer dans leur logement. Si vous avez besoin de ces 這是關於 YourenHomes Newcastle（您的紐卡素住房）機構的信息，內容解釋了我們代表紐卡素市政府 informations français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Ces informations concernent votre loyer. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou （Newcastle City Council）負責管理市政房屋以及如何運作。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它 dans une autre langue, au : 0191 278 8633. 語言版本，請致電 0191 téléphonez 278 8633 索取。

Ces informations concernent les demandes de travaux pour votre logement. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633.

Right to Buy Ces informations concernent les droits des locataires relatifs à l’acquisition de leur logement social.

Si vous avez besoin ces informations en français ou dans autre‫ﺧﺎﻧﻪ‬ langue, téléphonez au : ‫اﻳﻦ‬ N general / Homes + ، ‫ﺎﺳﻞ‬ ‫ﺷﻬﺮدارى ﻧﻴﻮﻛ‬ ‫از ﺳﻮى‬de ‫ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن‬ ‫ اﻳﻦ‬.‫ﻋﻤﻠﻜﺮد آن اﺳﺖ‬ ‫ﻧﯿﻮﮐﺎﺳﻞ« و‬ ‫ در‬une ‫ﻫﺎى ﺷﻤﺎ‬ » ‫ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن‬ ‫اﻃﻼﻋﺎت درﺑﺎره‬ ople 0191 278 8633. @ói@óäb îŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ óäbmóØòìíäb‚@ñòìó䆋ÙØbš@üi@ðîŒaí‚a†@ðmóïäüš@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ ‫ﺗﻠﻔﻦ‬ ‫ﻫﺎى دﻳﮕﺮ ﺑﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﺎرﺳﻰ ﻳﺎ زﺑﺎن‬vos ‫زﺑﺎن‬responsabilités ‫@ﺑﻪ‬N‫اﻃﻼﻋﺎت‬ ‫ﻧﻴﺎز ﺑﻪ اﻳﻦ‬ ‫ در‬.‫دارد‬ ‫ﺑﻪ ﻋﻬﺪه‬ ‫اداره ﺧﺎﻧﻪﻫﺎى‬ Tenancy Repairs Ces‫ﺷﻤﺎره‬ informations concernent en ‫ﺻﻮرت‬ tant que locataire de‫را‬la‫دوﻟﺘﻰ‬ municipalité de ‫ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻟﻴﺖ‬ Newcastle. Si vous avezNç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une‫ﺗﻤﺎس‬ autre٠١٩١٢٧٨٨۶٣٣ langue, 0191 278 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ .‫ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ‬ téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633. @ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷@NòŠb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@î‹Ø@üi@çbåï“å–‹Ø@Àbà@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ YCH Right to Buy Ces informations concernent notre service de location. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 0191 278 au 8633 français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez : 0191 278 8633.@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ YHN general / Homes + @m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ Ces informations concernent Your Homes Newcastle : qui est chargé de gérer les logements sociaux @Nóîa‡Ý—bØüïä@óÜ@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðÙ—åï“å–‹Ø@íØòì@òí—÷@ðäbØóïmóîb‹qŠói@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ People Tenancy au nom de la municipalité de Newcastle et comment nous procédons. Si vous avez besoin de ces 278une 8633 @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ informationsNç‹i@ñ‡äòí— en françaisq@0191 ou dans autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633. <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. @Šóè@ bî@ ñ†ŠíØ@ ðäbàŒ@ ói@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ ãó÷@ m‹ Šòì@ óÜ@precisar çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @ Nóîóá—÷@ ð–‹Ø@ ðäbØómóà‚@ ói@ pòŠbió@ Rent Esta informação refere-se à sua renda. Se desta informação em <português> ouóäbîŠbïäaŒ@ noutra ãó÷ YCH língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@0191 278 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ Repairs Esta informação refere-se ao pedido de reparações em sua casa. Se precisar desta informação em @òìóÝ—bØüïä@ñŠb’@ñaŠü’@çóîý@óÜ@óØ@óîóØó䆋؊bØ@ðmóïäüš@ì@ <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191Your 278 Homes 8633. Newcastle@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ YHNto general Right Buy / Homes + @ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ Esta informação refere-se ao direito que @N ospbÙi@ðmóîaŠóiòí–Šói@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@óØ@òìaŠ‡—q@ñòìó÷@ðØŠó÷ inquilinos têm de comprar a sua habitação social. Se People precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633.

Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@0191 278 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ Tenancy Esta informação refere-se às suas responsabilidades como inquilino social em Newcastle. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633.

YCH Esta informação refere-se ao serviço de arrendamento. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633.

YHN general / Homes + Esta informação refere-se à Your Homes Newcastle, a organização responsável pela gestão da People habitação social em nome do Município de Newcastle, e a nossa situação actual. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633.

Repairs Right to Buy Tenancy

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這是關於如何要求維修您住房的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 0191 这是有关我们的出租服务的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致电 0191 278 278 8633 索取。 8633 索取。 這是關於租客有權購買他們的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致 这是有关代表纽卡斯尔市政府（Newcastle City Council）负责管理市政房屋的 Your Homes Newcastle 電 0191 278 8633 索取。 （您的纽卡斯尔住房）组织的信息，内容解释了我们是如何运作。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其 這是關於您作為紐卡素市政府租客所需要承擔的責任的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語 téléphoner au 0191 278 8633 pour obtenir une traduction écrite. 它语言版本，请致电 索取。 言版本，請致電 01910191 278 278 86338633 索取。

YCH

Español Spanish

YHN general / Homes + People

idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre cómo pedir que se realicen reparaciones en su casa. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre los derechos de los inquilinos a comprar su vivienda municipal. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre sus responsabilidades como inquilino municipal de Newcastle. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre nuestro servicio de adjudicación. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre Your Homes de Newcastle, que es la responsable de gestionar las viviendas municipales en nombre del Ayuntamiento de Newcastle, y sobre nuestra manera de hacerlo. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633.

Your Homes Newcastle Limited. Registered in England and Wales.

Registration number 5076256. Registered offi ce: Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PR. www.yhn.org.uk A company controlled by Newcastle City Council.

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