Welcome to your guide on how to save energy, avoid damp and condensation, frozen pipes and information about Government incentives. If you have any questions, contact your support worker.
Be efficient with heating:
Stay warm, cut costs
Turning your thermostat down by 1°C can save you as much as £60 and 230kg carbon dioxide per year. Also, keeping your heating constantly on a low heat could potentially save you more money than switching it on and off for big blasts of heat. This is where getting to know and understand the timer settings on your thermostat will really pay off.
Get cosy
Wearing more jumpers, socks and slippers around the house, and putting an extra blanket on the bed, means you won’t be tempted to turn the heating up.
Turn the pressure down on your shower
A high-pressure power shower is a great luxury to have but you’d be surprised how much water they use. Sometimes this can be even more than a bath!
Closing curtains at night
Closing your curtains at night is a great way to improve your heating efficiency as it reduces heat escaping through windows. Opening them during sunlight will allow warmth in
Keep radiators clear
Where possible, keep furniture away from radiators and don’t cover them over with clothing. Not only does this avoid a fire hazard, it allows heat to flow around the room effectively and makes your home warmer.
Time to reflect
Fit your house with radiator panels. These simple devices fit neatly behind your radiators reflecting heat back into your home and can reduce heating costs by 10%.
Be efficient with cooking:
Heat your home with cooking
Leave the oven door open after cooking to let the heat warm your kitchen. The oven might give off enough heat for you to adjust your thermostat, a far more efficient use of that stored heat than throwing it out of your home with an extractor fan.
Let the dishwasher do the dirty work
Avoid pre-rinsing the dishes in hot water. Save water and energy by just scraping the dishes before they go in to the dishwasher.
Make things easy for your fridge and freezer
Keeping them full means they don’t have to work as hard and therefore they use less energy. Empty space not only wastes space but energy too.
Cook in batches
Cook as much as possible in the oven in one go to make sure all the space and heat is being used. You can always freeze portions of food to warm up at a later date.
Defrost frozen food in the fridge overnight
Defrosting food in advance typically halves the cooking time.
Get to know your oven
Learn how long it takes to pre-heat, so you’re ready to start cooking as soon as it is up to temperature.
Pre-boil potatoes before roasting
This will reduce the amount of time they take to cook in the oven.
Use glass or ceramic dishes
They’re the most efficient to use in the oven and can be used at lower temperatures.
Keep the oven closed while you’re cooking
When cooking, each time you open the door the oven loses heat and requires more energy to get back up to temperature. Keep the oven door clean so you can look in to see how the food is doing.
Use stainless steel skewers
Insert them into baked potatoes and joints of meat to speed up the cooking process.
Cut food into smaller pieces
When food is chopped into smaller pieces, it will cook more quickly which will reduce the amount of energy you are using.
Use the fan assist cooking option
This allows you to set the oven at a lower temperature compared to when using the static cooking option.
Turn your electric oven off ten minutes before the end of the cooking time
It will still keep to the same temperature for this time period whilst saving you money.
Always use the right size of pan for the amount of food you are cooking
Doing this ensures that you aren’t using unnecessary energy to heat large pans that you don’t need to use.
Cut down on your water usage
Put just enough water in the pan to cover vegetables. That way, you aren’t wasting energy heating water you don’t need to use.
Using the rings
Choose the right size of burner or ring for the pan. Keep rings clean, as burnt foodstuff absorbs heat making an electric ring less efficient. Turn down the ring or burner once the cooking temperature or state is reached and simmer food rather than boiling it.
Use a steamer to cook vegetables
That way you can layer a number of vegetables on top of each other and still use one ring, or use a pan with a divider.
Use a pressure cooker
Do this for cooking pulses, and even joints of meat, whole meals, or stews. It speeds up the cooking process.
Use flat-bottomed pans
If you’re using an electric hob, choose flat-bottomed pans so the pan is in full contact with the ring. Always put lids on pans to keep the heat in.
Use the correct pans
Certain pan types are better at conducting and retaining heat. Copper-bottomed pans heat up quicker than stainless steel and cast-iron pans retain heat more efficiently so you won’t need the heat to be turned up so high.
Be efficient with costs:
Switch it off and save
Unplug all the appliances that you aren’t using regularly – even chargers continue to use electricity when they aren’t charging. Also, make sure you’re not leaving appliances on standby; it may be easier but it’s also a guaranteed way to waste energy compared to turning things off at the socket.
Get the kids involved
Play energy-saving games with your kids. Get them to spot the areas in the home where energy is being wasted and where lights, switches or appliances have been left on.
Don’t overpay for your energy
Compare gas and electricity prices with a comparison website such as uSwitch to make sure you’re on the cheapest tariff for you. Further advice can be found at: https://www.uswitch.com/
Tackling damp
What is damp?
No one wants to live in a damp home. Damp can cause mould on walls and furniture and cause wooden window frames to rot. It’s also unhealthy. Some damp is caused by condensation. This can lead to a growth in mould that appears as a cloud of little black dots.
Penetrating damp is caused by moisture entering the house through leaking pipes, a damaged roof, blocked gutters, gaps around window frames and cracked or defective rendering and brickwork. All these problems can be remedied.
Rising damp is due to a defective or non-existent damp course. This will leave a ‘tide mark’ about 1m above the floor. Fixing rising damp is a job for a qualified builder. Newly built homes can sometimes feel damp because the water used during construction, such as in cement or plaster, is still drying out.
What can I do?
Produce less moisture
Simple things make a huge difference, like covering pans when cooking, drying clothes outdoors, venting your tumble dryer to the outside and not using paraffin heaters or flueless bottled gas heaters.
Let the damp air out and the fresh air in
Make sure your extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom are turned on and shut the doors between these rooms and the rest of the house when they get steamy. Open your windows when you can and allow air circulate behind cupboards, furniture and wardrobes.
Insulate and draught-proof your home
Warm homes suffer less from condensation, so it is important to make sure your home is well insulated.
Heat your home a little more
Keep a low background heat in unused rooms if you can afford to do so. Use a thermostat on the heater or radiator to control the temperature in individual rooms, and remember to air the rooms from time to time. If you wipe down windows and sills every morning, this will help to collect dripping condensation, but be sure to wring out the cloth rather than dry it on a radiator.
Wipe down affected areas
Finally, to get rid of mould on walls and other surfaces, wipe down the affected areas with a fungicidal wash. Follow the manufacturer’s guidance carefully.
Important
If you notice any signs of damp or mould in your home, such as musty smells, condensation or discoloured patches on the walls or ceilings, please report it to us as soon as possible, so we can keep your home safe and healthy. For tips on how to prevent damage and moulds, scan the QR codes and watch the videos.
Ventilation and frozen pipes
Five top kitchen ventilation tips:
- Turn down each ring or burner to the appropriate level.
- Put lids on pans, as excess evaporation indicates wasted heat and fuel.
- Using a pressure cooker reduces fuel use, cooking times and unwanted heat and steam in the kitchen.
- Use a microwave as it generally has less need of ventilation.
- Use a cooker hood, but only switch the extractor on for the minimum time necessary.
What can I do if my windows let in draughts?
Strip insulation for doors and windows is a sensible and inexpensive option to prevent draughts. There are a wide variety of draught strips now available, and you should be able to find ones which will stop the cold air seeping or blowing in between your opening casements and the fixed window pane.
Also, check that around the frame and around non-opening casements, there are no gaps where the cold air is getting in and the warm air is escaping. You can use a sealant around frames and putty to seal around the glass.
Will curtains help prevent heat loss?
Curtains and blinds are a very good option for preventing heat loss, as long as you remember to close them at night during cold periods and open them again when the sun comes out to let the heat back in. You could either buy heavy-duty curtains or buy linings for your existing ones. Thermal linings are available for extra insulation. Some people even have two pairs and use one on top of the other, but make sure your curtain rail is securely attached to the wall before you consider this. Don’t let your curtains hang over a radiator, as this will stop the heat from radiating to warm the room. Try to keep the surface of your radiator clear at all times.
What can I do if my water pipes freeze?
If you turn on your taps and nothing comes out, leave the taps turned on and report the repair. Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water as you could be electrocuted. Never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Instead, try use the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe close to the tap, working toward the coldest section. If your pipes have burst, turn off the water at the house’s main stop tap and leave the taps on. Make sure everyone knows where the stop tap is and how to use it.