Energy Efficiency Matters

ECO + is the Governments NEW home improvements scheme ...

MF007325 — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:21:56 GMT

New measures to help thousands to insulate their homes and reduce energy consumption ...

New £1 billion ECO+ scheme will see hundreds of thousands of homes across the country receive new home insulation, saving consumers around £310 a year

'ECO+' will extend support to those in the least energy efficient homes in the lower Council Tax bands (EPC rating D or lower)

A new £18 million campaign will give the public advice on how they can save hundreds on their own bills without sacrificing comfort

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps today (Monday 28 November 2022) launches a government push to help millions of people across the country bring down their energy costs for this winter and beyond.

It is part of wider action this week across energy policy to help the UK meet its ambition of becoming energy independent.

Under plans announced today, the new ECO+ scheme will extend support to those who do not currently benefit from any other government support to upgrade their homes. In addition, a new £18 million public information campaign will also offer technical tips and advice for people to cut their energy use, while also keeping warm this winter.

Of the £1 billion funding available through the new ECO+ scheme, around 80% of the funding will be made available for those households who are in some of the least energy-efficient homes in the country – that is, those with an EPC rating of D or below and will benefit those households who do not currently benefit from any other government support to upgrade their homes.

Do you know your homes energy rating ? ... if not click here to find out more .

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

"The government put immediate help in place to support households in the wake of global energy price rises caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine. Today, we launch the first of many measures to ensure the British public are never put in this position again as we work towards an energy independent future."

"A new ECO scheme will enable thousands more to insulate their homes, protecting the pounds in their pockets, and creating jobs across the country."

"And in the short term, our new public information campaign will also give people the tools they need to reduce their energy use while keeping warm this winter."

Making homes more energy efficient is the best way to cut household energy use and is already helping reduce household energy bills, while also creating jobs across the country. The ECO+ scheme, which will run from spring 2023 for up to 3 years, extends that support even further and will see hundreds of thousands of households receive new insulation, saving them around £310 a year.

The new funding pot will also provide long-term funding certainty across for the industry, supporting the growth of supply chains and green jobs in the sector, as the government takes further action to tackle fuel poverty and reduce energy bills.

Although the final details of the new scheme are yet to be announced its clear that only homes with energy rating of D or lower will be eligible therefore you will need an up-to-date EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) and we can help with this so just follow the link below :-

( more about EPC click here ...)

To find out more about the Governments NEW ECO+ Scheme follow the link below :-

( more about the Governments NEW ECO+ Scheme click here ...)

Low Energy Lighting

Tue, 31 May 2022 09:46:42 GMT

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Check for Cavity Walls

Tue, 31 May 2022 09:08:45 GMT

Cavity Wall Insulation is a no-brainer in making your home more energy efficient ... assuming you have cavity walls.

Its important to know if you have Cavity Walls or Solid Walls before considering what type of wall insulation you will need, most properties built after the 1930's have cavity walls which is two separate walls with a cavity (space) in between them. Although the original purpose of the cavity was to prevent damp moving from the out wall to the inner wall, it was quickly realised that this cavity could also be used to help insulate the wall by adding insulation between the two brick layers and over the years the cavity has gotten wider and wider in order to accommodate additional insulation.

This is how you might check your home to see if you have cavity walls or solid brick walls:-

https://youtu.be/kkOC1hvyfuk

Boiler Upgrade Scheme Launch

MF007325 — Tue, 31 May 2022 08:37:31 GMT

Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened on 23 May 2022 ...

As we transition towards net zero, the way we heat our homes needs to change and to support the net zero transition, the government has introduced the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) .

The scheme enables property owners to move away from their reliance on fossil fuel systems to switch to a cleaner, more efficient heating system in an affordable way by providing grants towards the cost of heat pumps.

The BUS is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales until 2025.

The BUS offers £5,000 towards the cost of an air source heat pump and £6,000 towards the cost of a ground source heat pump. It also offers £5,000 towards a biomass boiler for properties in rural areas that are not connected to the gas grid. The funding can only be used to replace traditional fossil fuel heating systems (gas, oil or electric).

To help reduce costs further the government has introduced 0% VAT in the installation of energy saving equipment including heat pumps and biomass boilers for the next 5 years .

The application process will be installer led, meaning installers will apply on behalf of property owners however property owners will, however, also need to complete an online form on the OFGEM website ... follow the link below for further details :-

www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/boiler-upgrade-scheme-bus

Energy Saving Tips

Wed, 25 May 2022 13:20:12 GMT

SWITCH OFF STANDBY

You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode. Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. You may want to think about getting a standby saver or smart plug which allows you to turn all your appliances off in one go.

Check the instruction for any appliances you aren’t sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in so they can keep track of any programmes you want to record.

Electronic devices can account for 7-10% of your electricity bill when left on standby so get all those gadgets turned off. Items simply let plugged in such as phone chargers do use some energy when the sockets are left on so switch off sockets that you don’t want to use. TV’s and game consoles all use energy when on standby so if their sockets and extension cables are plugged in and left on it is worth considering power down devices – these are basically timer sockets and save energy by turning off certain areas where they are fitted at programmed times.

TURN OFF LIGHTS

Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £20 a year on your annual energy bills. If you have not already, then ensure you swop out old lights for LED lighting. These can offer a huge saving especially if you have a lot of downlights which are generally low voltage not LED. LED replacements lights are cheaper now, so it you’re not using them it’s something you should seriously consider.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WASHING

You can save around £28 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine more carefully.

Use your washing machine on a 30 degree cycle instead of high temperatures.

Reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year.

AVOID THE TUMBLE DRYER

Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes. Dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather to save £55 a year.

SPEND LESS TIME IN THE SHOWER

Keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £65 a year on their energy bills.

SWAP YOUR BATH FOR A SHOWER

Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath but swapping just one bath a week with a 4 minute shower cold save you £11 a year on your energy bills.

BY SAVVY IN THE KITCHEN

Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. But many of us will admit that we at least occasionally boil the kettle with more water that we are going to use. Avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £11 a year on your electricity bill.

You could also consider fitting an aerator onto your existing kitchen tap to reduce the amount of water coming out without affecting how it washes of rinses. An aerator is a small gadget with tiny holes in, which attach to the spout of taps and are cheap and easy to install and could save you £22 a year.

FILL YOUR DISHWASHER

Only run your dishwasher when its full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £14.

BLEED YOUR RADIATORS

Bleeding your radiators not only makes your home warmer but can also reduce the cost of your energy bills. This makes your heating system more efficient by removing any air pockets. This also reduces the pressure in your system and means you don’t have to turn the heating up as much.

RADIATOR REFLECTIVE FOIL

Place reflective foil behind your radiators. This will help reflect heat back into the room rather than out towards the wall. It is a fairly swift, low-cost measure that will make a large difference to most houses. If you have not done this, then I would recommend you try this in one room just to see the difference. It is in my mind well worth the cost, especially in older uninsulated houses.

TURN DOWN YOUR THERMOSTAT

Almost half the money spent on energy bills is absorbed by heating and hot water costs. Turning your heating down by just one degree could save up to £80 a year.

BLINDS AND CURTAINS

Blackout blinds can act a barrier to heat loss in the same manner as good quality lined curtains. These should be closed fully during evening and placed behind radiators not in front of them.

MONITOR YOUR ENEGRY USAGE

Buy an energy monitor. Don’t confuse these a smart meter, a good energy monitor will tell you when you have items switched on. This can indicate where energy is being wasted by items that you thought were switched off but are still using electricity. Smart meters tell you how much energy you have used and what it is costing you. They are not accurate enough to detail what is actually using all the energy.