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Many UK homes are poorly insulated and lose up to 33 per cent of their
heat through the walls. Consumers can save at least £100 per year
on their heating bill if they insulate walls and lofts and draught proof
doors and windows.
Those keen to make extra savings can slash a further £60 off their
annual energy bill by, turning down indoor heating by 1 degree (£20
saving), investing in energy saving light bulbs (£10 saving), buying
an insulation jacket for the hot water cylinder (£10 saving) and
resetting it at a hot rather than scalding temperature (£20 saving).
Jon Miller, head of sales and operations at uSwitch.com
said: "Being energy efficient means reducing the energy wasted around
the home, which, following recent warnings of potential power cuts could
become more important than ever this winter. A little advance planning
can pay dividends towards reducing household expense."
Top Ten Energy Efficiency Tips:
· To eliminate draughts and wasted heat use an easy-to-fix brush
or PVC seal on your exterior doors.
· Take showers instead of baths - an ordinary shower uses only
two-fifths of the water needed for a bath.
· Always switch lights off as soon as you leave a room and adjust
your curtains and blinds to let as much light in as possible during
the daylight hours. Close your curtains at dusk to stop the heat escaping
through the windows.
· Always ensure you turn your taps off correctly. In one day,
a dripping hot water tap can waste enough water to fill a bath.
· Do not leave the tap running whilst cleaning your teeth, turn
on only when needed.
· Avoid leaving appliances on standby and remember not to leave
them on charge unnecessarily.
· Replace light bulbs with energy saving light bulbs, especially
if you use a light for more than four hours a day.
· Insulate your hot water tank with a British Standard jacket
that's at least 7.5cm thick.
· Do not fill your kettle to the maximum each time you make a
cup of tea, instead fill with just enough water for the number of cups
you are making.
· Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently
and cheaply.
Consumers can also save money on bills by switching to a cheaper gas
and electricity provider. Mr Miller said: "Whilst people are becoming
more tuned in to switching there is still an estimated 15.8 million households
in the UK who have not switched energy suppliers. This means there is
£2.2 billion in unclaimed energy savings which gas and electricity
providers are sitting on."
For consumers interested in doing more to help the environment, uSwitch.com
has joined forces with Friends of the Earth to provider consumers with
a green electricity comparison calculator on its website which enables
customers to compare the best green tariffs for them.
uSwitch.com
provides free independent and impartial advice to consumers about which
tariffs would best suit their needs. By simply entering the postcode into
the uSwitch.com
calculator or calling the free phone number (0800 093 06 07) consumers
can assess the options available to them and make an informed choice.
While you're about it, try uSwitch for Home
Telephone charges comparison too - it's all free and you could save
money
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