Top Energy Saving Tips In the Home

• Look at energy efficient labelling when purchasing new appliances.  An ‘A’ rated appliance will use about 45% less electricity of a similarly sized appliance with a ‘D’ rating.
•  Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need, research has found that a full kettle boiled 4 times per day will cost almost €60 more per year, than one filled for just two cups. It was also discovered that a huge percentage of  kettles used in homes are over 10 years old and are far less efficient than newer models.
•  Wait until you have a full load in your washing machine or dishwasher before starting. Having a fully loaded dishwasher or washing machine will save both electricity and water. If you can use cold water washing powder and cold water cycles considerable savings can be made.
• Regularly defrosting your fridge and freezer will keep it running more efficiently. Ice should never be more than 6mm as this will reduce the efficiency and by defrosting a freezer twice a year you can save an average of €20 of your electricity bills. You should also ensure the seals around the door are working correctly. When closing the door place a piece of paper across the seal; if the paper is easy to move, the door is not creating a good seal and the appliance is running inefficiently.
• You can make up to a 90% saving in your lighting bills by retrofitting your old incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs . LED bulbs can also have a life span of over 20 years under general operation.
•  Much of a room’s heat is lost through windows. Closing curtains and ensuring the curtains do not hang over radiators will stop them acting as a funnel for heat out the window. Savings can be made on a home’s space heating requirements.
• Close all doors to separate heated from unheated areas of the home, and minimise the area you are heating. There is no need to spend money heating rooms nobody is in.
• By turning the room temperature down by only 1°C, an average of 10% can be knocked off your heating bill. Room temperature should be set between 18°C and 20°C.
• CFL lightbulbs use 80% less electricity than an equivalent incandescent lightbulb and typically lasts eight to twelve times longer. Replacing 3 X 100w incandescent lightbulbs with CFL’s which operate for 3 hours per day can save €43 per annum.
•  Always turn off lights when leaving a room, even if only for a few minutes. Lighting can account for as much as 15% of a household electricity bills and by being more careful and turning off lights, dramatic savings can be achieved.
•  Switch appliances off rather than leaving them on standby. This will save up to 20% of your appliances’ energy use.
•  By keeping windows and skylights clean there will be a reduced need for additional artificial light.
•  Ensure that your hot water cylinder and piping are fitted with lagging insulation which will reduce the heat loss.
•  Educate yourself on how to use your heating systems correctly, often people use the heating system incorrectly leading to higher operation costs and a waste of resources.
• When brushing your teeth make sure to turn off the tap; an average running tap wastes 6 litres of water per minute so you could save between 12 – 18 litres of water every time you brush your teeth. If a tap was to be left on every person could waste as much as 13,140 litres of water per year.
• Make sure that there are no drips from taps or showers; a dripping tap could waste over 5,500 litres of water per year. Fixing a dripping tap is very simple and can be completed by a competent DIY person.
•  By replacing a conventional 7 litre toilet cistern with a 4/2.5 litre duel flush system, savings of roughly 80 litres per day can be achieved. This may cost in the region of €150 – €175, but a far cheaper option is to fill an empty water container and place it in the cistern. This will reduce the flush by the volume of the water in the container.
•  Talk to Carlow Kilkenny Energy Agency, there are energy grants offered by The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland which you may be entitled to. These grants could allow you to further improve the energy efficiency of your home.