Cold draughts are common place in many homes and are caused by exposed gaps between the inside and outside of your home. These gaps allow for valuable energy to escape and leave some areas of the home feeling very uncomfortable. Fortunately solving draught problems can be achieved cheaply and easily.

Draught proofing measures work by blocking or filling the gaps that exist within your home. These gaps are are usually found beneath door ways and window areas. This is usually because they have either been fitted poorly or draught protectors have not been put in place.

Draught proofing comes in many different forms including rubber, brushes and foam but for the most comprehensive advice it is worth visiting or calling the Draught Proofing Association. They will be able to advise you on the types of stops you will need for your home.

Installing draught proofing is considered a basic energy saving method as it helps reduce heat loss and according to the Energy Saving Trust can save around £25 a year on energy bills. Draught proofing measures can often be self installed which means they are extremely cheap measures to introduce.

The lights finally went out on old 100w incandescent light bulbs as new greener ones were phased in earlier this month. The new more efficient light bulbs were bought in as part of an EU mandate. However it has left many customers disgruntled.

Research shows that the new bulbs are undoubtedly greener, using 80% less electricity. This equates to an average of £45 saved in electricity each year. If you couple this with insulation savings could be well above £200. The Energy Saving Trust believe this will help cut national energy consumption considerably.

Despite the obvious benefits people are somewhat reluctant to change to the new bulbs. Social network sites such as Facebook have reported the creation of new groups and comments relating to the subject area. Other sources have also raised concerns about the possible health risks of the new bulbs though they are wholly unsubstantiated. The problem with slow brightening times has also caused annoyance.

The issue will undoubtedly go on to be hotly debated and people will continue to source the old bulbs through other means. Some shops are even selling them by the hundreds. Although this is one issue it does show a possible trend for future developments. For example if cars are switched to alternative energy sources will people react in similar ways.

1. Switch off lights when room is not in use.
2. Use rechargeable batteries instead of wasteful disposable ones that contain toxins.
3. Microwave ovens take less time to cook food and can be more energy efficient.
4. Use washable, reusable cloths for spills instead of kitchen roll to reduce paper consumption.
5. Switch appliances with power packs or adapters off at the plug when not in use.
6. Don’t leave appliances on standby.
7. When buying new appliances, look for the ‘Energy Saving Recommended’ label on electrical goods.
8. Use dryer balls to reduce tumble dryer time by 25% – spiky dryer balls lift and separate the clothing allowing heat to circulate more effectively.
9. Fit draught excluders to doors and single-glazed windows.
10. Install home and roof insulation.
11. Fit individual radiator thermostatic control valves and manage temperature and individual radiators.
12. Take a shower instead of a bath.
13. Only use the washing machine when you have a full load.
14. Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running at optimum performance – icy freezers use extra energy.
15. Keep your fridge and freezer full to cut energy usage – the emptier it is, the harder it has to work to keep everything cold.
16. Dry clothing outdoors instead of using tumble dryer.
17. If using a tumble dryer, don’t put soaking wet clothes in as this will take up extra energy. Spin them or wring out first if possible.
18. Don’t dry clothes over the radiators – this stops heat from penetrating into the room and creates damp conditions.
19. Wash laundry on a lower temperature – most detergents work just as effectively on a cool wash.
20. Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree Celsius and save up to 10% on energy bills each year.
21. Fit aluminum foil to the backs of radiators to conserve heat and reflect the warmth back into the room.
22. Go out for the day! Save household energy by spending more time outdoors instead of sitting around in the house.
23. Turn your PC and monitor fully off when not in use.
24. Close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
25. Don’t leave mobile phones or laptops on charge unnecessarily.
26. Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load.
27. Switch washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers onto ‘economy’ setting if possible.
28. Fix leaking taps – a dripping hot water tap wastes energy and over a week would produce enough water to fill a bath.
29. Use energy saving light bulbs – these last up to ten times longer than standard bulbs.
30. Install a brush or PVC seal on all exterior doors and letterboxes. Keyholes can be covered too.
31. Fill any gaps in floorboards or skirting boards with newspapers, beading or sealant to stop draughts entering and heat escaping.
32. Insulate your hot water tank with a specially designed, inexpensive jacket.
33. Switch to a high-efficiency boiler, especially if your boiler is over fifteen years old. By law, all new boilers fitted must be high-efficiency boilers.
34. Double glaze your home. Double glazing cuts heat loss through windows by up to 50%.
35. Defrost your food overnight instead of heating it up in a pan or oven.
36. Avoid opening the oven door when in use. Opening the door allows a lot of heat to escape so check on your food through the oven window.
37. Put the lids on pans when cooking food. This will help to retain the heat.
38. Use the right size pan on the right sized hob to keep heat concentrated.
39. Turn heat down on the hob when the water has boiled.
40. De-scale the kettle – it will boil more quickly, thus saving energy.
41. Chop food into smaller pieces so that it cooks quicker and more easily.
42. Only cover foods with as much water as is needed to boil.
43. Collect compostable waste – over 30% of kitchen waste can be composted at home.
44. Wear more warm clothes instead of turning on the heating.
45. Reduce energy wastage by turning off the heating when you go out or by reducing the amount of time it is on.
46. Don’t leave heating on overnight- put another blanket on the bed!
47. Invest in an energy monitor which will show how much electricity is being used, how much it costs and the amount of harmful CO₂ emissions you are contributing.
48. Attach an ecobutton™ to your computer. When pressed, this activates your computer’s Eco Mode. By pressing the button again, the machine will be reactivated at the same place you left off.
49. Use EcoBalls® when doing your laundry –mineral salts replace the need for detergent and including them in each wash will save you money and water.
50. Recharge mobile phones, digital cameras and iPods with a wind-up or solar charger.
51. Buy a gas energy saver for your hob. This will reduce cooking time and burn gas more efficiently and therefore save energy.
52. Make sure radiators are not obstructed by furniture or curtains.
53. Avoid putting hot or warm food in the fridge as it takes more energy to keep the other contents cold. Allow to cool first.
54. Check the doors seals of the fridge and freezer regularly and replace if worn.
55. Use a pressure cooker or steamer where possible instead of the oven as these use less energy.
56. When using the kettle, only boil as much water as needed.
57. Turn the hot water thermostat down to 60°c which should be a sufficient temperature and save on heating costs.
58. Replace fridge-freezers than are over ten years old. Modern appliances are much more energy efficient.
59. In warm, sunny weather, open windows and doors and let the warm air travel through your home.
60. Insulate hot water pipes. The best ones to insulate are those between the water tank and the boiler.
61. Turn the microwave off at the plug when not in use. Continuously powering the clock can use more energy than heating food.
62. Have the radiators flushed if you have an old central heating system to make them work more efficiently. If a radiator is cooler at the top than at the bottom then this is a good indicator.
63. Buy an Eco Kettle and save electricity, energy, money, water and time.
64. Use a shower timer in order to conserve water usage.
65. Try a solar powered or wind up radio instead of a battery or electricity fuelled one.
66. Use solar powered garden lights instead of electric lights.
67. Make sure your fridge stands out of direct sunlight and away from the oven in order for it to work more efficiently. It is best to keep it against an outside wall so that any heat generated can escape.
68. Avoid keeping the fridge and freezer doors open for long periods as cold air will escape and the appliance will have to work harder to keep cold.
69. Use a dimmer switch on lights if you don’t need full lighting.
70. Avoid fluorescent lights which use a lot of energy.
71. Turn the toaster setting down by one.
72. Grow your own vegetables.
73. Re-use plastic bags instead of picking up new ones each time you do your shopping.
74. Instead of turning on lights during the day, make sure all curtains and blinds are fully opened to allow as much natural light into the home as possible.
75. Instead of using a hosepipe to water the garden, collect rainwater in a water butt or old dustbin.
76. EU energy labels on fridges, freezers and washing machines show how energy efficient the appliance is on a scale of A-G. A is the most efficient and G is the least efficient.
77. Don’t waste food. Use leftovers and don’t buy more than you need. Throwing food away not only wastes its individual energy but also that which went into producing, packaging and transporting it.
78. Drink tap water instead of bottled water and reduce the waste produced. Tap water also requires 300 times less energy than bottled due to the transport and packaging required.
79. Fit water saving shower-heads that can save the amount of water used by up to 70%.
80. Take any shelves you don’t use out of the oven.
81. Make toast in a toaster and not under the grill.
82. Make sure the filters in your tumble dryer are fluff free.
83. Reduce the amount of ironing by removing clothes from the washing machine straight away and hanging to dry on hangers if possible.
84. Iron clothes that need a cooler setting first and finish with those that need to be ironed on a higher setting. By keeping the temperature constant instead of constantly changing it, the appliance will work more efficiently.
85. Make sure air can circulate around the back of fridges and freezers.
86. Make sure the fridge/freezer thermostat is set at the correct temperature so that it doesn’t use too much energy.
87. Keep lampshades and bulbs clean. Dirty bulbs and shades give out less light.
88. Dark lampshades give out less light so use lighter shades to make the most of the energy used.
89. Consider buying a laptop when you upgrade your computer instead of a desktop as these use less energy.
90. Never leave the hot tap running when shaving or brushing teeth.
91. Some gas and electricity suppliers now offer home energy checks and the Energy Saving Trust site offers impartial advice on how to save up to £250 per year.
92. If something is broken investigate if it can be repaired first before buying a new one.
93. Why not use a thermos flask even if you’re not going out – make enough hot drink in the morning to last the entire day.
94. Educate children from an early age about saving energy.
95. Maintain and trim trees and bushes that overshadow your home and might prevent the sun’s natural light and heat from entering your home.
96. Generate your own energy. Find out about government grants that are available to households and communities and enable you to develop your own solar and wind powered devices.
97. Only heat the areas of your house that you use. Turn off radiators in rooms that are empty if you have individual radiator controls.
98. Turn mobile phones off overnight so that they need charging less often.
99. If you have an unused fireplace make sure the chimney is blocked with newspaper or cardboard so that no heat energy is lost up the chimney flume.
100. Energy saving advice is available from your local council so visit their website.
101. Research different energy suppliers and use the one that provides the most cost effective plan.

According to a recent story in the Times the Governments advisory body on domestic energy use has announced that poorly insulated homes should be banned from being sold or rented. Further more the Energy Saving Trust has released figures showing that 5.5 million homes in the UK are in the lowest two energy performance bands. This equates to a fifth of all homes.

The latest figures have also led the trust to believe that tougher measures need to be introduced in order to help the government reach its carbon dioxide emissions target. Suggestions have included additional stamp duty and higher council tax. This will undoubtedly be unpopular with many home owners however the trust estimates that these homes could be made fit for less than £5000.

Since the introduction of the energy performance certificate in October home owners have been required to disclose the efficiency levels of their homes once they come to sell them. Many of the homes that fall in to the lower categories may find it difficult to sell as buyers are looking for efficient homes.

The trusts final comments included suggestions that measures should be introduced to force home owners to improve the energy performance of their home before they can extend it. Planning permission would be granted if improvements were made. Currently these are all planned measures and nothing has been introduced as of yet.

The home energy efficiency guide uses a scoring system to help you asses your homes efficiency. Although the guide will probably highlight a number of areas for improvement its best to consider which changes will have the biggest impact. For example energy saving light bulbs and loft insulation. Typically loft insulation is one of the biggest contributors to reducing energy waste.

Both guides are available in pdf format and can be downloaded at your convienience. The guides are completely free however we ask for contact details so that we can send the occassional promotional email.

Energy Performance Certificate Guide
Home Energy Efficiency Guide