energy saving tips for your home
DESCRIPTION
Tips to help you save energy in your home - room by roomTRANSCRIPT
Energy Saving tips for your home
BathroomWalls and Pipes
By insulating your walls you can save lots of heat and money.
It is very cheap to insulate your pipes and it will save you energy and save you a lot of money.
Hot water
If you have a hot water cylinder in your bathroom make sure it is properly insulated and check the thermostat is set to 60 while you’re about it.
Lighting
If you are getting a light bulb it is better to get an LED light bulb. They last much longer than ordinary light bulbs. Even though they cost more to buy, the money you save is many times more than the difference in cost.
How do energy-saving light bulbs work?
Traditional incandescent light bulbs work by passing an electric current through a thin metal wire, which becomes hot and emits light. Unfortunately, a lot of energy is wasted as heat, while only a small proportion goes towards generating light.
Energy saving light bulbs are more efficient because most of the electrical energy is used to generate light and very little is wasted as heat.
Halogen lights, which use 20-30% less energy, work in the same way as incandescent bulbs but are more efficient as the metal wire is encased, allowing less heat and energy to be lost.
LEDs, the most efficient using 90% less energy, produce light through the movement of electrons.WHICH? MAGAZINE gives this information about how much you can save.
TYPICAL ENERGY USE OVER 5 YEARS
Wattage of light bulb (W)Low-energy
light bulbTraditionallight bulb
Savings over five years
40W (traditional) or 8W (low energy)
£5.40 £27.00 £21.60
60W (traditional) or11W (low energy)
£7.43 £40.50 £32.40
100W (traditional) or 15W (low energy)
£10.13 £67.50 £54.00
BedroomInsulate your walls and make sure your windows are closed
because you wont need to but the heating on.
Insulating the floor boards saves £60 a year and gives you warm feet in the
winter.
Turn the heating off before you go to bed and then you
can turn it back on so you will be warm in bed but not too
hot. Also use a hot water bottle in bed instead of using
an electric blanket.
Towel dry your hair thoroughly to cut down on the time you use your hair
dryer. .
HallWalls Floor
If your house was built before the 1990’s, it
probably wasn’t built with insulation so you need to
put it in.
If you insulate your floors it will save £60 a
year, It doesn’t cost that much.
HeatingSwitch heating off when
you’re out on a family trip or at school.
AppliancesTurn off machines
when you’re not using them. Don’t leave them on standby.
LightingSwitch off the lights when you are not using them
because you will cut your electricity bills.
WindowsClose your windows to
keep heating in at night to save
electricity.
Walls
Insulate them
FloorFix cracks and lay carpets.
This will stop draughts, save energy and keep your feet
Insulate me!
Thank you
warm.
HeatingCheck if the heating
needs replaced and do if necessary.
AppliancesSwitch off after use to save
water, electricity and money.
LightingUse LED bulbs -although they are more expensive
they last longer
WindowsUse double glazed to save
money as well as insulating them. Blinds and curtains can also help save money.
Living roomWalls
Insulating walls will keep warmth in. It would be
expensive unless you do it while you’re decorating, but
FloorThe floor in the living room is usually the largest area of the house and loses heat fast. If you insulate your floor it will
£££!!!!!!!!!!!
it would work out cheaper overall.
be a cosier and less expensive home.
HeatingLots of houses have central heating, and depending on
how much you use it your bill can become high. So we
have a tip for you: every day set your heating down a little and see the difference. You
will get used to the heat that it is, and should save more.
Home ElectronicsA lot of people have electric goods in their house such as
phones, tablets and TVs. Switch off these electronics
and get some exercise - cheaper and healthier!
Lighting If you are in the house in the summer or light days, switch your lights off.Use energy saving bulbs.
RadiatorsIf you are too hot or are
uncomfortable in the environment, then you can
turn the radiators down instead of opening a window. This saves energy and lowers
your heating bill.
Whole house
WallsYou have to insulate
the walls to keep you warm. Also to keep the heat in.
FloorYou have to keep the floor insulated especially for timber floors as they
are older and need it the most.
HeatingSome people have electric fire
places. if you have one you have to remember to switch it
off when you’re out of the room. Central heating is important to keep you warm but you can put it on a timer and turn it down a
little to save energy.
Appliances You always have to switch off
appliances as it will save energy e.g Television, Phone, laptop, IPod, IPad.
LightingIf you have halogen lights it
would be best to remove them or swap them for LEDS. As LED
is more efficient.
WindowsAlways shut your windows as it will
save heat. And we advise you to get insulation which will make your
heating bill lower and save energy.
An energy story
This is Berty the dragon. His energy bill was high but he found lots of ways to save money by using his energy knowledge.
He saved 8% on energy a year by switching off lights, TV, laptops and other electronics.
He used other eco-friendly ways to make energy such as solar power, wind power and wave power.
But Berty’s amazing idea was, instead of the electric fire place, he went into the forest to get some wood and he set the logs on fire in a place that was safe, and he could easily light it, because he is a fire breathing dragon!!!
Illustrated by Frankie Lee (P4)
Questionnaire 1. Do you switch your lights off at home?
2. What is the most important electronic device to switch off?
3. Why is electricity so important to switch off?
4. Do you switch your devices off at home?
5. What is the most useful electrical appliance?
We hope you can answer all these questions easily.
Written by Lara Templeton and gregor Balmer.
Questionnaire Answer sheet
1. Hopefully yes.
2. The television is the most important device to switch off as it uses a lot of electricity. 3. Electricity is very important to switch off, if you don’t switch it off, it would waste you money also it could set off a fire accidentally.
4. Hopefully yes.
5. This is an optional question.