'Tis the season to be... Energy Efficient
Energy usage traditionally soars as temperatures drop, Christmas lights are switched on and cooking demands increase during the festive season. However making a few simple changes could easily save energy, and money, throughout the 12 days of Christmas. According to firmus energy, who supplies natural gas to domestic customers in ten towns across Northern Ireland, and also supplies natural gas and electricity to businesses province-wide, households can cut their energy bills alongside their carbon emissions by following a few steps:
"Simply by turning down the thermostat and bleeding radiators, households can make a dramatic difference to their energy bills, and at the same time play their part in helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly of all the fossil fuels, emitting up to 30%* less carbon than home heating oil - so households who've switched to natural gas are already making a difference," said Neil Holland, Head of Sales and Marketing for firmus energy.
"If you have an oil boiler now is a good time to think about getting it serviced to ensure that it's running as efficiently as possible. And for households who are thinking about replacing their boilers, it's worthwhile considering the switch to natural gas - given that a natural gas boiler can be over 90% efficient, compared with 65% for old G-rated oil boilers. Compared to oil, natural gas is also much more convenient - it's clean and hassle-free and you never have to worry about running out. "At Christmas many people are drawn to a coal fire, but in reality they're only 40% efficient - which means 60p of every £1 you spend on coal disappears straight up the chimney instead of heating your home!
"Insulation is the key to energy efficiency and minimising household energy bills. In an un-insulated property up to £1 in every £4 you spend on heating could be wasted so make sure you insulate walls (cavity or solid), floors, loft, tanks and pipes. Excluding draughts under doors is also easy to do yet it really helps to reduce energy bills and keep rooms cosy.
"In terms of household appliances, those running on natural gas are often much more efficient and environmentally friendly - on average electricity appliances emit twice as much carbon as gas. For example, you can save more than 60%** on running costs by using a natural gas tumble dryer instead of an electric one. Many natural gas tumble dryers have an automatic shut-off sensor that stops tumbling as soon as the load is dry - so they are kinder to your clothes as well as to the environment!"
firmus energy's top 12 energy saving tips for saving energy at Christmas are:
- Close curtains at dusk to limit heat escaping through windows.
- Set thermostats at the lowest comfortable temperature - typically between 18°C and 21°C. Lowering your thermostat by just 1&0000730;C will save you around 10% on your heating bill. Extra activity and more people in your house around Christmas also mean it should be easier to keep warm!
- Bleed radiators from time to time to remove unwanted air and keep them working to maximum efficiency.
- Use a central programmer to set when your heating and hot water comes on and off, and adjust as the weather changes.
- Fit thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on radiators and set them at lower temperatures in rooms you use less often as it will reduce heating bills but still keep out damp.
- Take a shower, rather than a bath. A bath typically uses around 150 litres, while a 10 minute shower only uses about 50 litres. Also, if you are using a shower powered by gas rather than electricity, it will cost a 1/3 of the price.***
- Switch to LED Christmas lights, which use 90% less electricity than normal tree lights, and limit the times the lights are on. Turn lights on only when it gets dark and off before you go to bed.
- With lots of cooking over the holiday season, make the most of your oven and the energy required to heat it by cooking several dishes at once.
- Keep lids on saucepans to cook food as quickly as possible - thereby using less energy.
- Unplug appliances before going to bed or going away for a few days. TVs, DVD players, computers, radios and many other types of electronic equipment use energy when they are left on standby.
- Fill the washing machine to capacity - one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
- Use energy saving light bulbs, which can save around £40 over the lifetime of a bulb and last ten times longer than ordinary bulbs.
And remember - energy saving tips are not just for Christmas - they're for life!
* Data from Carbon Trust Energy and Carbon Conversion 2005
** Energy Savings Trust as taken from DEFRA's Market Transformation Program
*** Based on firmus energy average domestic rates of 3.21p/kWh and NIE average prices of 15.03p/kWh
