Energy efficiency for Island homes
Who to contact about energy advice
The Footprint Trust
The Footprint Trust works with the Isle of Wight's community to promote the benefits of sustainable living. They offer impartial advice on saving both energy and water at home, and on average can help households to reduce energy bills by £200 to £300 per year.
You can get in touch by calling them on 01983 822282 or email info@footprint-trust.co.uk
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice are a UK-wide service providing advice about consumer rights. They have a number of pages dedicated to helping with your energy supply, including advice around grants and benefits, ensuring your home is energy efficient, and a number of other topics, including some advice for small businesses.
Gov.uk
Review your energy bill payments
The UK's energy regulator, Ofgem, has various rules around energy bills and affordability.
Suppliers must offer payment plans that their customers can afford. For those on pre-payment meters, emergency credit can be requested if you are unable to top up. You can contact your energy supplier to discuss payment plans if you are concerned about meeting your current payments, or to request emergency pre-payment credit.
If you cannot agree a way to pay with your energy supplier, Ofgem recommends contacting Citizens Advice.
Ofgem also suggest checking available grants and loans to help with paying energy bills. You can see a list of available grants and loans on the Ofgem website
Draught-proof windows, doors, and floorboards
Check for cracks or gaps around the edges of your doors and windows and between floorboards. Draught-proofing can prevent heat escaping a room as well as stopping cold draughts.
You may be able to caulk windows, use foam tape, or use a draught excluder by doors for a fairly easy fix.
Think about how you use your radiators
Turn your heating down by 1°c.
Keep doors and windows closed when your heating is on. This will ensure that heat stays in the room, so you will need to use less energy to keep the space warm.
Switch radiators off when you are not in the room.
Place radiator foil (or standard tin foil) behind your radiators to ensure that heat is reflected into the room. This may be particularly effective if your radiator is attached to an external wall.
Avoid hanging clothes on radiators to dry or warm up as this prevents heat from circulating around the room.
Where possible, do not place furniture directly in front of radiators as this will prevent heat from circulating around the room. If this is unavoidable, pulling furniture forwards by a few inches while radiators are switched on will allow the heat to circulate more freely.
Install double-glazing or seek a lower-cost alternative
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Double- or triple-glazing is a very expensive option but will save the most energy.
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Secondary glazing may be a more affordable alternative to double-glazing.
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Alternatively, you could look into thermal curtains or blinds, or shutters, all of which will help trap heat in a room.
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You could also try double glazing insulation film, which you apply directly to your windows (N.B. this comes under several similar names. If unsure what to look for, check with your local DIY store).
Energy saving tips
- Only boil the water you need to reduce the amount of time the kettle takes to boil. When making hot drinks, use your mug to measure out the correct amount of cold water
- Take shorter showers wherever possible
- Turn off appliances instead of leaving them on standby. Unplug chargers when not in use.
- Switch lights off when not using them, and switch lightbulbs to LEDs
- Wash clothing at a lower temperature and on a shorter cycle when possible.
- Aim to use your tumble dryer less frequently and make sure you clean the lint filter regularly to speed up drying. Hang clothes outside to dry or use a clothes horse indoors.
- Ensure washing machines and dishwashers are full before switching them on – this will lead to you needing fewer washes and therefore using less energy
- Don’t leave fridge or freezer doors open while cooking. This will allow cold air to escape, and the appliance will use more energy to cool down again when the doors are closed.
- Ensure the condenser coils at the back of your fridge/freezer are clean (use a vacuum cleaner, not water, to clean them) as dirt and dust can reduce their efficiency by a quarter.