Energy Efficiency - Did You Know...?
- Energy inefficiency means that we waste a jaw-dropping £6.5 billion every year in the UK.
- The average household could save £250 a year by taking energy efficiency measures.
- Walls lose more heat than any other part of your home. If every home in the UK installed cavity walls insulation, we could save £462 million worth of energy and we would cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 6.7 million tonnes. See wall insulation.
- Insulating your loft with approved material at least 250mm (10") thick can save a massive 20% from your heating costs. See loft insulation.
- If every home in the UK with a hot water tank used an approved jacket, we would save £21 million worth of energy - that's enough to power 64,136 households for a year.
- Consider draughtproofing your home - 20% of heat can be lost through draughty, ill-fitting doors and windows. See draught proofing and windows.
- Turning down your heating thermostat by 1¼ºC can cut up to 10% off fuel bills. See heating controls.
- Replacing an old or unreliable boiler could save 10-15% on fuel bills. See boilers.
- Using a 40ºC washing machine cycle rather than 60ºC means you use a third less electricity. See appliances.
- For every minute that a fridge door is open, it will take 3 minutes for it to regain its temperature.
- A new, energy efficient fridge/freezer could reduce the amount of electricity used by up to 50%. See energy labels.
- Ordinary light bulbs use up to four times as much electricity than energy saving alternatives. See lighting.
- A shower uses only two-fifths of the water needed for a bath.
- One third of the water used by the average family is flushed straight down the toilet.
- Every household in the UK pumps out 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
If you would like any further information please ring the Sustainable Housing and Affordable Warmth (SHAW) team on 0114 273 5837. You can also email the team on shawteam@sheffield.gov.uk.