All you need to know about

Energy Efficiency in your home

www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk

Energy efficiency in your home

The first steps to making the most efficient use of your energy is to identify where and how much energy you are using.

Heating and hot water tend to be the highest users of energy, accounting for over half of the total energy consumption in a typical home.

Other high consumers of energy are appliances that have a high power rating for example cookers, dishwashers and washing machines, and appliances that run for long periods for example lights, fridges and freezers.

A table detailing typical consumptions for a number of different appliances can be supplied if required.

If you have any queries relating to energy efficiency please contact the Sustainability Officer on 01642 836063.

Warmth and health

If you are fit and well and live in a well insulated and well heated home the chances are that you will not feel at risk from the cold.

There are however groups of people that should take care during periods of cold weather, these include the very young, the disabled, the sick and the elderly. As these groups tend to be less active they are more vulnerable to the effects of the cold and may develop hypothermia or cardiac and respiratory problems.

Hypothermia occurs when your body temperature falls below 35°C/95°F. If the temperature in your home is too low then this will increase the risk of hypothermia.

The warning signs are:

• Drowsiness and slurred speech• Slow pulse and breathing• Blue lips• Unsteadiness and slow to respond• Mental confusion• Pale and cold skin• Lack of awareness of cold conditions

The recommendations below will assist you to keep warm during cold periods and reduce the risk of hypothermia.

Diet

Regular well-balanced meals are an essential part of keeping warm.Follow the guidelines below:

• Make a good healthy start to the day with a hot breakfast.• Drink plenty of hot drinks throughout the day• If you don’t feel like eating try a meal replacement drink• Keep a flask of a hot drink by your bed at night

Clothing

It is essential to wrap up warm indoors as well as out.

• Wear several thin layers of clothing as this traps more air than one thick layer.• Wear woolly and thermal underwear.• When you go outside you should always wear a warm coat, scarf, gloves, boots and most essentially a hat.

Bed time

It is important to keep warm at night.

• Use several layers of light weight bedding or add blankets on top of a duvet• Never let the bedroom temperature drop below 16°C/61°F.• Wear warm bedclothes including socks and a cap.• If you have an electric blanket never use a hot water bottle at the same time.

Follow the tips and recommendations in the following sections of this leaflet to assist to keep your house warm and reduce costs.

Insulating your home

All Coast & Country properties should have received a package of insulation measures during the Redcar and Cleveland Warm Zone programme that operated from November 2002 to April 2005. The measures installed varied from one property to another and were dependant upon the property construction and type of heating installed.

Around half of heat loss in a home is through the walls and loft. A well- insulated home keeps warmth exactly where you need it – indoors!

Wall insulationCoast & Country have been constantly improving insulation levels in our properties since 2002. Most of our traditionally built cavity wall properties have now been insulated and we continue to improve insulation on harder to treat solid wall and system-built properties, some of which have received external wall insulation.

Loft InsulationTraditional glass fibre loft insulation works by trapping air between

the fibres it is therefore essential that the quilt is not compressed. If you have 250mm (10”) of insulation and it is compressed with either boxes or boards down to the joists, usually around 100mm (4”), then it is the equivalent of only having 100mm of insulation in that area. If you use your loft for storage try to minimise the area where compressing the fibreglass quilt takes place. Next time you are in your loft check your insulation, if you can see the joists supporting your ceiling throughout your loft then the loft insulation may need topping up.

The following sections detail some no cost/low cost measures you can take to reduce your energy consumption and reduce your energy bills.

Night Storage Heaters

Getting the most from your night storage heaters.

Storage heaters store heat over night using cheap rate electricity. The heat stored can then be released into the building the following day. This can sometimes result in energy being stored that is not required. However correct use of the controls can improve the efficiency.

During the heating season the switch at the side of the heaters should be in the on position, if this switch is off then no heat will be stored at all.

On the top of most storage heaters there will be a small flip up lid that conceals the temperature controls. See photo on the next page.

The dials are labelled output/boost and input.

The input dial controls the amount of heat charged in the heater over night. This should initially be set to 4. This setting can be lowered during mild weather and increased during colder weather. Only occasional adjustment of this control is required.

The output/boost dial controls the amount of heat discharged into the room. This would normally be set at 1 and adjusted as and when more heat is required in the room. This control should always be turned back to setting 1 prior to the overnight charge. If the output /boost dial is left higher than setting 1, heat that would normally be stored in the heater over night will be released into the room. This will result in the heaters not storing enough energy to provide heating throughout the following day.

Gas Fired Heating

If you have a timed heating system, make sure it’s only switched on when you need it. A satisfactory heating setting should provide a room temperature of 21°C (69.8°F) in the living room, 18°C (64.4°F) in other occupied rooms and 16°C (60.8°F) in unoccupied rooms.

• If your room temperature is higher than the recommended temperatures above and you lower your room temperature by 1°C, you can reduce your heating bills by 10% without affecting your comfort. Always ensure that you are warm enough and remember to turn down the heating rather than opening windows to reduce the temperature.

A typical room thermostat

• Use the central heating programmer to control on/off periods for heating and hot water. Set the heating to come on half an hour before you get in/get up and half an hour before you go out or go to bed. Using the heating one hour less every day can save £20-£25 a year.

Mechanical heating and hot water programme

Potterton Promax Combi Control Panel

• Thermostatic controls should be used to give the required comfort levels. Thermostatic radiator valves can be set to provide each room with thermal comfort and efficiency.

Typical Thermostatic Radiator Valve

• If you have water filled radiators placing reflective panels behind those on external walls can reduce consumption. • Ensure that curtains to not cover radiators under windows.• Try to avoid placing furniture in front of radiators as this blocks the heat from getting into the room.• Draw your curtains at dusk to retain the heat gained during the day. Curtains are a form of insulation and help to keep heat in and draughts out. • Fixing time controls to electric heaters will assist to control cost and will prevent appliances being left on by mistake.• Minimise the opening of your doors and windows in winter. • Use rolled up blankets to keep out draughts under doors and along windowsills. • Fill gaps between your floorboards (and between floorboards and skirting boards) by pushing in newspaper or filling the cracks with mastic, plastic wood or silicone sealer to make them draught proof. • A thick carpet with underlay will also assist to cut down heat loss. • Seal off unused chimneys and flues, but always install ventilation grilles.

Hot Water

• If you have a cylinder thermostat ensure it is set between 55°C and 60°C.

Typical Cylinder Thermostats

• Take a shower instead of a bath. You can have five, 5 minute showers for the cost of one bath (not a power shower), this saves water as well as energy.• It is usually better not to wash under a running hot tap – put the plug in.• Ensure your hot water tank is properly insulated (if you have one).• Ensure taps are fully turned off when not in use.• Rinse individual items of crockery and cutlery under the cold tap and wait until you have enough items to fill a bowl before using the hot water (especially if you have a combi boiler).

Appliances

The electricity you use running your household appliances makes up a large part of your bill. So when you buy new products, choose those with economy features such as a half-grill, economy wash cycle or half-load choice on washing machines. New appliances are often more efficient than older models. For example, modern colour TVs

cost less to run than old black and white sets. Your retailer will be able to tell you more about the running costs of various TVs, DVD players, home entertainment systems and household appliances.

Look out for the EU Energy Label below and request “A, A+, A++ or A+++” rated appliances when possible.

For more information on the EU Energy Label and information visit the website: www.direct.gov.uk/government/ publications/the-new-eu-energy-label- explained

Cooking

• Never use your cooker as a room heater. • It’s quicker and cheaper to boil water in your electric kettle than it is to boil it in a pan on the cooker. • Only put the amount of water you need in your electric kettle, but make sure the element is covered. • When you’re boiling vegetables, use just enough water to cover the food and put a lid on the saucepan. You can then turn down the control to simmer (placing lids on pans can reduce the heat required by up to 90%).• Try cooking more than one type of vegetable in the same saucepan. • Cut vegetables into smaller pieces, as these will cook more quickly.• Do not have flames licking up the sides of the pan.• Switch heat off as soon as possible as some dishes will continue to cook in the residual heat.

• Modern, fan-assisted ovens need very little pre-heating before you begin cooking. • For things like chops, the grill is more economical than the oven. But for toasting, a toaster is more economical than the grill. • When you’re using the oven, fill all the available space by cooking several items at the same time. For example, put a casserole or roast in one dish and vegetables in another on one shelf. Then put potatoes in their jackets and a baked sweet on another shelf. Freeze any food that you don’t want to eat immediately. • If you can’t fill the whole oven, for any reason, take out any shelves that aren’t needed. • Do not open the oven door unnecessarily.• If you use a pressure cooker, you can cook a variety of things on a single ring at the same time. It cooks faster than a saucepan and prepares a whole meal very quickly. It also helps retain more nourishment in the food. • Many modern electric hobs have dual control rings, so that you only need to turn on the centre part when you’re using a small saucepan. • If you’re only cooking for one or two people, a multicooker that fits on a worktop is more economical than a conventional cooker. • Use a slow cooker when possible, it uses about as much electricity as a light bulb.• Microwave ovens are fast, simple to use and need no heat-up time. They can cook a meal in minutes, even if it’s straight out of the freezer. But you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions and read the cookbook closely. • Always make sure food is properly cooked before eating it.

Dish washing

• Rinse dishes in cold water rather than hot.• Wait until you have a few dishes rather than washing them individually.• If you have a dishwasher rinse in cold water and wait until you have a full load before washing.

• Make use of economy programmes on dishwashers.• Only use high temperature programmes for really dirty dishes.• Some dishwashers have “quick wash” programmes. These cut washing times and save both energy and water.

Home Laundry

• Wash using a full load whenever possible.• For smaller loads use half load programmes.• Use the lowest water temperature possible for the task.• Fabric conditioners can reduce creases resulting in less ironing.• Spin dry before tumble-drying and use the shortest setting possible when tumble-drying.• Dry clothes outside whenever possible.

Lighting

• Don’t use higher wattage bulbs than necessary.• Compact fluorescent lamps are available in a wide range of styles and outputs, they use a fifth of the energy and can last 10 times longer than ordinary tungsten lamps.• Turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied.• Dimmer switches can reduce running costs, although these cannot be used with most compact fluorescent lamps.

Refrigeration

• Load and unload your fridge or freezer as quickly as possible.• Don’t open the door/lid unnecessarily and do not leave them open.• Periodically check door seals are effective and replace if required.• Do not put warm/hot food straight into the fridge or freezer.• Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly.• Try to locate the fridge/freezer away from heat sources for example out of direct sunlight and away from cookers, boilers or radiators.

• When replacing fridges/freezers purchase the most energy efficient appliance. • Fill any spaces in your freezer with scrunched up newspaper, this can easily be removed when restocking the freezer, freezers operate more efficiently when they are full.

Get the energy low down!

10 Energy Saving Ideas

1. Heating - Turning your thermostat down by 1 degree Celsius could save you up to 10% off your heating bill.

2. Lighting - Each low energy light bulb you install can save you up to £11 a year and can last up to 12 times as long.

3. Cooking - Place lids on saucepans to ensure the heat is kept in. This can reduce the energy required by 90%. You will find you don’t need the heat as high or on for as long with the lid on.

4. TVs - Always remember to turn your TV and Home Entertainment equipment off when not in use. TV’s left on stand by can use up to 85% of the energy they use when fully on.

5. Bathing - Think before you take a bath, an ordinary shower will use 1/3 of the hot water needed for a bath. Reducing water consumption reduces CO2 emissions as mains water is pumped using electricity.

6. Mobile phones - 95% of the energy used by mobile phone chargers is wasted, 5% is used to charge the phone, the remainder is used when the charger is left switched on at the socket and not connected to a phone.

7. Kettles - Don’t over fill your kettle, but make sure you have covered the element. The less water, the less time needed to boil and the less electricity used.

8. Washing machines - An energy efficient washing machine could use up to 33% less energy a year.

9. Fridges - An A-rated fridge freezer could save you up to £35 a year in running costs.

10. Dishwashing - A new energy efficient dishwasher can use 60% of the energy of a typical old one.

1 kWh will allow you to... Watch TV for 7 hours

Use your Sky HD set-top box for 27 hours, or leave it on standby for 53 hours

Iron your clothes for just 22 minutes

Boil 10 kettles for 2 minutes

Use your desktop computer for 4 hours

Cook 12 microwave meals

Charge 285 mobile phones for one hour

Wash a full load of clothes in a washer/dryer

Do one full dishwasher cycle

Contact us

• 01642 771300• enquiries@cchousing.org.uk• www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk