Energy Saving Week Northern Ireland to help people reduce energy bills
The campaign is aimed to help people in Northern Ireland reduce their energy bills and launches 17 October
New findings from Energy Saving Trust reveal that 32 percent of residents in Northern Ireland are not confident in their knowledge of energy saving methods. This comes as high oil, electricity and gas costs continue to impact people across the country.
Returning for its 22nd year from 17 October 2022, Energy Saving Week will see Energy Saving Trust, supported by The Housing Executive and partners, share energy saving advice through daily themes, including quick wins to save money and tips to heat your home for less.
With a worldwide squeeze on gas and oil, households in Northern Ireland could see energy
bills £1,000 higher than they've been used to paying over the last three years.1 Electricity bills are likely to be about £750 more than the three-year average.2 Heating oil currently costs more than
£520 for 500 litres compared to £220 a year ago. With 68 percent of people in Northern Ireland relying on oil to heat their homes, this price increase is a huge concern.3
57 percent of those surveyed by Energy Saving Trust cited inconvenience as a barrier to adopting home energy saving methods. Energy Saving Week will provide quick, effective advice to empower people to overcome these barriers. Tips will be promoted throughout the week online and across Energy Saving Trust’s Facebook, Twitter (@energysvgtrust) and Instagram accounts.
Five tips to save energy which could result in an annual saving on energy bills of £221 for a typical oil-heated three-bed, semi-detached house:
By replacing standard incandescent and halogen bulbs with energy saving LEDs, the average household could save around £30 a year on energy bills
Turning appliances off standby when you’re not using them could save £30 a year
Don’t overfill your kettle, only fill it up with the amount of water you need, this could save you around £6 per year
Spending one minute less in the shower each day could save as much as £25 a year on oil
Turning your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree could save £130 a year.4
Based on a typical three-bedroom semi-detached, with an 89% efficient oil boiler using an average oil tariff of 9.3p/kWh (96p p/litre based on 1000L purchased) and average electricity tariff of 16.4p/kWh; correct as of October 2022.
Schools challenge
Primary schools across Northern Ireland are also encouraged to take part in a one-week energy saving challenge, between 3 -31 October, to highlight the collective impact of saving energy and reducing carbon. Pupils and their families are tasked with making simple changes to help save
References
1 https://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/consumers/latest/newsroom/sse-airtricity-announces-284-price- increase-gas-customers-354-increase https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-63086811
2 Consumer Council
3 https://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/homeheatingoilpricechecker/tool
4 For most, the lowest comfortable temperature to set your heating is between 18°C and 21°C – according to the World Health Organisation
