Top tips for saving energy and money this winter

Following Energy Saving Week (22nd October- 28th October) the UK’s largest home improvement company, B&Q has rounded up their top tips for saving energy and money this winter. B&Q’s eco experts have highlighted the best products and day-to-day tips that will help shrink energy bills in any type of home. Just follow these simple suggestions to a more cost-efficient and comfortable home.

•  Check that the central heating is on when people are in the house as heating an empty house is a waste of energy and money. For example, set the heating to come on 20 minutes before the family gets up in the mornings and have it go off 15 minutes before they leave the house.

• A comfortable and efficient temperature for a room is between 18 and 21oC so check that the room thermostat is set right.

• The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a boiler accounts for about 60 per cent of energy bills. If it is more than 12 years old, it may be worth replacing. The Heatline Monza costs £519 and is one of the highest efficiency combi boilers around.

• Hot water should be set for 60oC. Any higher is a waste of energy; any lower and there may be a risk of micro organisms forming.

• Don’t turn thermostatic radiator valves off, even if you are not using a room. Sometimes they can stick when turned back on again. Set to the frost setting instead.

• Insulating a home means that it will heat up quicker and less heat will be wasted. Cold draughts are not only unpleasant, but also indicate that your home is losing heat so invest in a Draught excluder. New to B&Q this autumn is the chimney balloon, retailing at £10, the clever device helps block unwanted draughts from the chimney. The Energy Saving Trust estimate that a single balloon can reduce heating bills by as much as £19 every year.

• Ensure that loft insulation is 270mm (about 11”) and that it is between the joists of the loft. If done correctly the average home can save up to £175 every year on their energy bills. Cavity walls should also be insulated and it can usually be professionally insulated in just 1 day from the outside of a home and can save homeowners up to £135 every year on energy bills.

• Homeowners can now receive free cavity wall and loft insulation until November, if signing up online, plus low income households signing up will all receive a free £100 B&Q voucher.

• Fridges should be set at between 3 and 5oC to keep food in good condition and electricity costs under control.

• 18oC is the optimum temperature for freezers. Try to keep your freezer full as it will work more efficiently – you could use bread or even newspaper for bulk.

• Washing clothes with modern detergents allow washing machines to work effectively at just 30oC. This uses 40% less electricity.

• Try switching to a Quickwash setting on dishwashers. This can be surprisingly effective for lightly soiled items.

• If choosing new kitchen appliances, opt for the most energy efficient models. Over 49 per cent of the electricity consumed by UK households is estimated to be from using kitchen appliances and this is more than double the amount that the UK used in the 1970s in kitchens.

• B&Q now only sells fridges, washing machines, freezers and dishwashers that are A rated or better. In fact, the EU Energy Labels that are on many appliances have had to be redesigned this year to show grades up to A+++.

• Choose a tumble dryer with a sensor that will switch off when the laundry is dry. Try the Beko Free Standing Tumble Dyer which is A+++ rated for just £374.

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• Lighting accounts for about 20 per cent of an electricity bill and in 2011 UK households spent around £2.2 billion on electricity to run lighting in the home. To reduce this, just change the light bulb to an energy saving bulb instead.
• Incandescent and halogen light bulbs use some of the electricity they are supplied with for light, but they also produce heat. This makes them less efficient, short lived and more expensive to run than modern energy efficient light bulbs. 
• If you’re still using a 60W incandescent, replacing it with a 15W energy saving bulb can save up to £8 a year.
• By replacing all the remaining standard bulbs in a home with energy- saving light bulbs, homeowners could save around £30 a year.
• B&Q launched LED light bulbs last year which are now more affordable with prices starting from £8.98 for a pack of six. All the bulbs last between 15-25 years. The Energy Saving Trust estimate that changing a single 50W halogen spotlight with a 6W LED could save as much as £70 over the life of the bulb.

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For further information on how to improve the energy efficiency of a home, log onto www.diy.com/eco or talk to a B&Q eco advisor in-store.