Elmhurst members share Energy Saving Tips

We identified what the top 5 were and calculated they could save bill payers an average annual saving of £782.

With the average fuel bill set to reach £2,500 per year, we wanted to offer the unique insights our Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) members for lowering your fuel bill.

270 Elmhurst DEAs answered our questionnaire on what their top tips were for reducing energy use - providing a total of 800 recommendations! We identified what the top 5 were and calculated they could save bill payers an annual average saving of £782. Top 5 Energy Saving Tips from DEA members:

1. Install loft insulation

An uninsulated roof leaks 25% of home heat. Loft insulation costs vary by material, starting from £5/m2 for blanket insulation at the 270mm required depth - or £150 to £285 for an average midterrace. It can also be DIY installed, with protective clothing, while average labour will cost £250/day to do the work. Saving: Up to £330 a year

2. Use a programmable thermostat - at a consistent temperature

Most combi boilers have programmable thermostats to set temperatures automatically. DEAs recommend setting to 15-16 degrees at night and 18-20 degrees during the day,

depending on activity levels. Wireless programmers are ideal and can be located in the hall or the most used room, but radiators must be set in sync with the thermostat.

Saving: £127 minimum per year per degree

3. Don't waste hot water

Free and simple to implement, DEAs recommended turning down the thermostat on the cistern to around 60 degrees, as well as making a raft of switches from bath to shower, boiling kettles using only the water needed and waiting to use dishwashers and washing machines until full.

Saving: Around £100 per year

4. Make the LED switch

Lighting a home can amount to 11% of the average bill. LED lightbulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs - depending on quality and use, so every 75watt incandescent bulb replaced with an LED can save around £10 a year, based on 503.5 hours’ average per year – the amount for a typical kitchen or lounge. Saving: £100 per 10 bulbs switched to LED

5. Block out draughts

Draughtproofing is as simple as closing internal doors, especially when opening outside doors. For doors, use draught excluders, cover keyholes, use letterbox flaps or brushes and fit brush, foam or wiper strips around to fill gaps. Use strips for windows, a chimney draught excluder for unused fireplaces, consider a flexible filler for floorboards and check loft hatches are fully draughtproof. Stuart Fairlie, Managing Director of Elmhurst Energy, said:

“The new energy price cap average of £2,500 still means a bill at least double the cost of 2021. Bill payers shouldn’t be fooled by the freeze into wasting energy, as they will still pay for the energy they use, meaning their bill could be significantly higher, especially if they live in a bigger, older home or have a larger family.

There are a mix of hugely effective measures to take. Loft insulation will make one of the biggest, immediate cuts to bills, but involves a higher up-front cost, especially if it means getting in someone to do the job. But proper insulation will more than make its money back in less than two years and will keep saving money from that point.

Many of the most effective measures are also free. One of the best energy-saving tips is simply to get to grips with your thermostat and programme it correctly, using a consistent temperature - one for day, one for night. Dropping by just one degree can slash 10 per cent off a bill. And by using hot water sparingly, this can also dramatically cut energy usage as it reduces dependence on the boiler to fire up as much.”

The tips made the national press, finding their way into the Metro, Leicester Mercury and Cambridge news! This shows how much the general public value the advice of energy professionals and we’re proud that our members could offer practical advice on how to lower their energy bills at such a challenging time.

As energy security comes more to the fore due to the war in Ukraine, we would argue that addressing the UK’s ‘leaky’ housing stock should be the first port of call. With some of the oldest and least energy efficient housing in Europe, we can almost certainly do better.