One of the best things about improving energy efficiency at home is that it cuts bills and reduces our carbon footprint.
A well-insulated, ventilated, and energy-efficient home can have lower-than-average energy bills. Upgrading and improving insulation can help keep you warm and comfortable, improve health and save significant amounts of money.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) show how energy efficient your home is and if it needs improvements. The most efficient homes are rated A+ and cheaper to heat. The average home in Essex is rated D-, which is more costly to heat. When buying or renting a new home, it is prudent to research the EPC and the cost of any required changes.
Financial help and incentives
To save money and carbon, you can find advice from various sources online. Essex County Council has created a list of almost all relevant Essex energy-saving initiatives here. These include:
- Warm Homes Essex offers advice to Essex residents who want help with the cost of energy and are looking to go green and save. This advice includes home improvements, financial support, and general energy-saving tips.
- Solar Together Essex is a group-buying scheme that enables Essex residents and businesses to install solar panels at an affordable price. Solar Together Essex provides a straightforward and safe way for you to generate energy and save money on future energy bills.
- The UK Government has announced the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides grants of up to £5,000 to support the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers in homes in England and Wales. £450 million of grant funding is available until 2025.
Home energy-saving tips
- Turning down the thermostat, even by just one degree, will save energy. According to the Energy Saving Trust, doing so could save 10% on your heating bill. However, if you are 65 or older, or have limited mobility, don't turn down lower than 18°C.
- Our fourth energy-saving tip this week is to use 'eco' mode. Appliances like washing machines and dishwashers often have 'eco' modes, which make them operate at lower speeds, temperature and power. Up to 90% of a washing machine's energy use is for heating water. So a lower temperature uses less energy.
- Switch off devices and appliances that are on standby. Doing so could save you around £65 a year from your energy bills.
- Cutting your shower time by just one minute could save you £35 a year in energy bills and a further £30 a year in water bills if you have a meter.
- Check your lightbulbs. Not all energy-saving bulbs are equal. LED lights use about half the energy of fluorescent spiral bulbs and last much longer. The Energy Saving Trust says that switching your 50 Watt halogen bulbs to LEDs could save up to £6 per bulb per year.
Reducing water usage
Though it might seem to rain a lot, East Anglia is one of the driest regions in the UK, with droughts and water scarcity projected to increase due to climate change. Essex County Council's Climate Czar, Cllr Peter Schwier, visited Ardeligh Reservoir this summer to discuss the water challenges Essex faces. You can watch the video here.
To coincide with Cllr Schwier's visit, we produced a series of simple steps to ensure efficient water usage and bill reduction:
- Keep the tap off. Turning off the tap whilst brushing your teeth could save an average of 36 litres of water from being wasted.
- Take a shower. A five-minute shower uses half the amount of water used in a standard bath.
- Check for leaky loos. Household leaks, such as a leaking toilet cistern, can cost you £100s annually.
- Wash clothes on a full load. Doing so saves water, energy, and money.
- Use a water butt. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden is fully sustainable.
As part of Essex Flood and Water Management's climate action initiative, a 50% subsidy is available on 100 and 200 litre water butt purchases for Essex residents. Just visit the Get Composting website and enter your postcode to access the Essex County Council subsidies.
All Essex residents are also eligible for a free water-saving kit from Essex & Suffolk Water.
Water Management
Anglian Water has recently bolstered its water management plans. A public consultation is now open for Essex residents to share their views on a draft Water Resources Management Plan, which includes proposals for more than £600m of investment in managing water supplies from 2025. You can find further information at anglianwater.co.uk/wrmp.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy comes from natural processes such as solar, wind or hydropower. Many energy suppliers provide renewable energy supplies, and you can change using the Essex Energy Switch.
You can install renewable energy in your own home too. Help is available to purchase solar panels, and you can find further information from Solar Together Essex.
Saving energy and resources in the home will significantly reduce your annual bills and overall carbon footprint.
Another fantastic way to support a low-carbon energy transition is by participating in community energy projects. These initiatives put people at the heart of the energy system.
Some examples include groups working to install solar energy in a village hall or primary school and electric car-sharing clubs. Essex County Council provides support for groups that are interested in developing projects. You can find more information on how to get involved from Community Energy South or by emailing lowcarbon@essex.gov.uk.