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East Midlands Energy Efficiency

Hints & Tips at Home

We all want to do our bit.  Safety, sustainability and energy efficiency are important to us all.  Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a big difference, particularly when we act collectively.  Here are some top tips to help at home.

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A dripping tap can waste at least 5,500 litres of water a year. If this is hot water you’re also wasting the energy used to heat it. Get leaking taps fixed promptly.

Make sure you get your boiler properly serviced every year by a competent person. It will keep you warm, safe and make sure it is working efficiently.

When was the last time you switched energy supplier. Regularly changing to the right tariff can save you money by reducing your energy costs. If you rent a property and pay the energy bills yourself the law says you should be able to choose your own energy supplier.

Thermal or heavy blinds and curtains can help trap heat and reduce draughts. Close them at night to reduce heating bills.

Think before your print. Reducing the amount of material you print has a long list of benefits including saving paper, chemicals and electricity. More and more offices and industries are going paper free, so think about how you can reduce any printing you do.

Spending one minute less in the shower each day will save up to £8 a year off your energy bills, per person. With a water meter this could save a further £11 off annual water and sewerage bills. If everyone in a four-person household did this it would lead to a total saving of £75 a year.

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Every year in the UK it kills around 50 people and sends 4000 to A&E for emergency treatment. Make sure you get all your combustion appliances properly serviced and fit an alarm. Good quality alarms are available from most DIY suppliers and take minutes to fit. It could save your life!

Insulate hot water pipes along their full length. Don’t waste the energy you have used to heat your hot water.

Fitting a new insulating jacket to a bare hot water tank can save over £100 per year. Costing just a few pounds, the investment can pay itself off in a few months.

Use a microwave. Generally a microwave oven is the most efficient way to heat up and cook food.

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