Category: Energy Efficiency

Low-energy light bulbs, you may have heard a lot about them but have you taken in how much money you can save?

Compared to traditional household bulbs, energy-saving bulbs can last approximately 10 times longer (10 years compared to 1 year). There are also LED bulbs available on the High Street, which can last up to 25 years.

Traditional 40W, 60W and 100W bulbs have equivalent low-energy versions, which are rated approximately 8W, 10W and 15-20W respectively. By replacing a 40W traditional bulb with an 8W low-energy one, you have immediately cut your use by 20% for that bulb.(Which)

Lighting in the house equates for nearly 20% of your electricity bills, so going for a low-energy light bulb can definitely make a difference that you’ll be able to notice.

Storing solar energy is extremely important, especially when the sun isn’t shining. Finding a way to store energy is an obstacle that can be overcome though.

You can store solar power by converting the sun’s energy into heat. There are plants already based in Spain which can store excess energy in molten salt. These solar plants can absorb high temperatures without changing state.

With many different ways of storing sunlight available, will solar power negate the need for fossil fuels in the future? We doubt it would go down to zero, but we can foresee a future where we use other forms of technology to cut down on fossil fuel use.

Have you ever considered a heating control for your house? This is a great idea, if you’re looking to have set times for when the heating comes on in your house. Having a thermostat and programmer installed maybe costly at first, but can save you around £100 a year. Ideally it should pay for itself in the long-run. Interesting fact – turning your thermostat down by one degree can save you around £75 a year!

Another option to look into is loft insulation. The Energy Saving Trust has found that having around ten inches of loft insulation can save you up to £150 a year. Again this option may cost a lot to put in place, but will pay itself off in the long-run.

Nearly all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without causing any issues. The only appliances which may need to stay on are digital recorders which may need to record/update during the time that you plan to turn the device off. The Energy Saving Trust have worked out that a typical household can save £45+ a year, just by following this simple procedure.

You can also save the same amount by following similar steps in the kitchen. For example setting your washing machine to 30°C will help save money straight away. We recommend you follow these tips and keep a lookout for more energy saving tips in the future.

A continuation from our post last week regarding energy tips!

Also consider going solar if possible. Back in the day the thought would be extremely expensive, but nowadays it’s much more financially viable. Of course the other option is just not to use as much energy in the first place!

If you have fridge older than 15 years, consider replacing it with a more energy efficient model. The old fridges were more electricity hungry, compared to the Grade A models available now. According to some sources, you can save up to £100 a year, which means your new fridge would be paid off within 4-6 years (depending on model).

Bills, bills, bills, all they seem to do is increase nowadays. Utility bills especially seem to be the most costly. It doesn’t help that we live in a world which is technologically-driven, meaning rising electricity costs.

First, probably the most obvious but we would recommend turning off the lights whenever you’re not in that said room. There’s no reasoning in keeping a light on, when no one is in the room. Every little helps, so even if it’s for 5 minutes, turn off those lights!

Also consider unplugging your devices when not in use. It doesn’t matter if the power is off, some devices still use 10% energy because they’re still plugged in.

A Government Study has found that people who worry about climate change use more electricity than those who do not.

The people who are concerned about the prospect of climate change were obviously expected to be those who consume less electricity, but they’re strangely using more than the people who say it’s “too far in the future to worry about”. The researches went on to say that if all of the people in the study were looked at as one, then the majority of people in the UK are not worried about climate change.

This of course means that the many people who claim to worry about climate change may not actually be worried at all, but they’re more likely to say that they’re concerned. So is the research actually complete nonsense? Probably yes.

There has been a great deal of progress made with solar panels in recent years and you don’t have to look too far to find a property incorporating solar panel electricity systems. You’re virtually guaranteed to cut your energy bills if you have solar panels installed correctly but it could take a little bit of time before you see a return on investment.

The prices do vary depending on how many panels you’re having installed, while you can decide between solar tiles and slates to, if you want your panels to blend in more with your roof tiles. On average, for a typical home, prices tend to be between £6,000 and £7,400, while it’s fair to say that the larger your system is, the more cost effective it will be in the long run.

Some people have been said to save round £1000 a year, and that’s a fair amount, considering the fact that these tiles are designed to last, meaning it will take less than a decade to see a viable return.