Use energy efficient bulbs

Replace your home’s bulbs with energy-efficient ones as the originals stop working, after all, they last up to 10 times longer. Gone are the days when you have to swap style for functionality as there are a great range of bulbs now, even those that can be used with dimmer switches. Using one can save you around £45 over the lifetime of the bulb.

Switch off appliances

How many of us are still guilty of leaving the TV on standby or our phones to charge overnight? Around 8–10 % of the total electricity used in the average home is due to appliances left on in this way. Energy meters help you see what energy you are using and losing. It’s worth checking to see if your energy supplier can provide you with one for free.

Turn the heat down

Turn your thermostat down by 1°C, you could cut your heating bills by up to 10% and typically save around £50 per year. If you have a programmer, use it and have the satisfaction that you are also reducing your carbon footprint.

Wrap your radiators

A simple way of cutting heating bills is to fit foil behind your radiators. A padded version of aluminium foil and can be bought in all good DIY shops. At about £5 a roll, it reflects heat back into the room and is a quick and easy solution.

Seal your house

Keeping on top of repairs and making sure your home is well-insulated will help with the bills too. Fix rattling windows and insulate and double glaze them for maximum effect. The Energy Saving Trust claims that by fitting energy saving glazing you could save around £140 per year in heating costs. Another easy fix is to block gaps around windows, doors and any unused chimneys to stop heat from escaping.  Even better, insulating cavity walls, lofts, tanks and pipes can give you real savings on your bills and also help you sleep better at night knowing that you are reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 

Go greener still… 

Guilt-free shopping

Try choosing eco-friendly cleaning products and look at how the foods you buy have arrived at the shop. Buy local wherever possible, visit local farmers’ markets and avoid products flown in from thousands of miles away. In our area, we are lucky to have excellent farmer’s markets in Sawbridgeworth, Epping, Matching Tye and Hatfield Heath, to name a few.

Choose your electricity supply wisely

Shop around for energy suppliers. Look at green tariffs which promote renewable energy production. Visit www.greenelectricity.org for more information.

Diligent decorating

If redecorating, use as many eco-friendly products as possible. Abstract Decorating in The Maltings, Sawbridgeworth supplies water-based and eco-friendly paints and wood treatments from well known brands such as Little Greene, Paint and Paper Library, Farrow and Ball, Sandersons and local company Bedec. They also supply Polyflor Camaro wood effect flooring as a wood alternative.

If you do decide to buy wood flooring try to source the most sustainable wood you can. Andrew Banks, from The Wood Gallery in Harlow says, ‘Wood is the only raw material that we use that can be regenerated in a reasonable timeframe. We source our timber only from suppliers who work within legal forestry guidelines and where possible under the auspices of the Forestry Stewardship Council, which certifies wood products to indicate that the timber has been produced from well managed forests. At the moment this is mainly from Europe because it has the best sustainability potential. We can advise you on which wood is best for you taking into account how it is sourced and where from.’

If doing a larger project consider the sorts of materials you are going to use. Use local businesses wherever possible, always ask the supplier where the wood comes from and consider the greenest options. Will Baker, from Willow Cabinet Makers in Matching Green says, ‘There is always a trade off to be had against durability and supplies of type of wood. But I use hard woods that are sustainable, such as beech from Europe, as most suppliers now do.’

Update appliances

Do an audit of your home appliances and you may decide that it really is time to replace that now vintage looking fridge-freezer if it is not running well. Of course, energy is used making the new model so it’s best to replace only if absolutely necessary, but the chances are that the newer model will save energy, water and money.

The one thing to really consider investing in, if you haven’t already, is a condenser boiler. About 60% of our energy spending is through our boilers (Energy Saving Trust), so getting an efficient model can make a huge impact to how energy efficient you are. The new models can reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions and save you as much as £225 a year.

Bigger projects  

Generate your own energy

It may sound a little ambitious but your home really could become its own provider of energy. Renewable energy technologies like wind turbines, solar panels and biomass heaters offer real alternatives to fossil fuels. Not only do they have financial benefits, as cash back schemes such as feed in tariffs are available to those who generate electricity in this way, but they help reduce your home’s CO₂ emissions. 

Solar electricity

An average solar electricity system costs around £12,000 to install. It’s a hefty investment but will save around £200 a year on electricity bills and annually produce a substantial amount of a home’s electricity requirement. Given that the homeowner is paid a tariff and you can even sell excess electricity back to the National Grid, it can be a worthwhile investment.

These systems must be installed by Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) approved companies to be eligible for feed-in tariffs. Charles Montlake, Director of Use The Sun Ltd. in Harlow says, ‘Your roof is an under-utilised asset. Interest in Solar PV (photovoltaic) is growing fast. The feed-in tariff makes it financially viable for people now as it pays 41.3p for every kilowtt you produce regardless of what you do with it. There will be alterations to the tariff in April 2012 however, so people are rushing to install systems before then.’

Other energy generation alternatives include air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps. The feed in tariffs and clean energy cash back schemes that the government has in place are now making these options a reality for many as opposed to a thing of the future. Find out which scheme your house may be most suited to at from the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk).

Coming this year…

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…The Green Deal. This initiative is set to hit the headlines in 2012. This new government initiative has been set up to help meet the upfront cost of making your home more energy efficient and allow homeowners to install energy efficiency measures and pay for the improvements with the savings on fuel bills. Find out more at www.decc.gov.uk.

Bishop’s Stortford author, Lynne Garner, has just written The Greatest Guide to Green Living. She says,

‘Every time we open the newspaper or turn on the TV we are bombarded with facts on how our modern lifestyle is having a detrimental effect on the environment. Due to this increasing awareness, a growing army of people want to make changes but are unsure of how to go about it. Are you one of these people? Are you looking for simple ways to help the environment and save yourself a little money at the same time? Then this book which is full of easy to follow hints and tips will ease you into a more environmentally friendly way of living. Available from Amazon end of March or can be ordered from any good book shop.’