how can i save energy in the home?

Answer 1

Turn your thermostat down by one or two degrees in the winter

Insulate your roof

Make sure there are no draughts - if there are, fit draught excluders

Turn off lights in rooms not being used

Blled radiators once a year to ensure they are working at maximum efficiency

Recycle

If you are going to buy white goods, go for the more energy efficient ones (rated A or A+)

Use an LCD monitor instead of CRT ones on your PC

Don't use the stand-by feature on your electronic equipment

The article below has some fab ideas on how to save energy in your home

Answer 2

You could check with local authority if cavity wall insulation has been done cuts down heat loss by 30% there are good government grants available to help with some or all of the costs this also applies to loft insulation which now should be at least 250mm in depth again around a 30% saving on heat loss you should also have your heating system checked for efficency levels and look at your thermostat settings between 18 and 21 degrees are the recomended settings 60 degrees on your hot water cylander (if you have one) also look at the energy ratings on any new appliances you buy Ais the best rating is scales down and costs more to run after that never leave tv,s etc on standby and try some low energy light bulbs

Answer 3

RKO has some good things for existing homes but he goes a bit over the top on other things. A demand hot water heater is good. All the insulation, double-glazed windows, roof vents and such are standard. The things which would make a really safe and energy efficient home are generally forbidden by building codes, regime regulations or short-sighted bankers. They will not allow roof mounted solar panels or white roofs as unsightly. They will often not allow building better than code either. Many places ban the digging needed to use geothermal heating/cooling. Banks often refuse to lend money on "different" houses out of fear of losing resale price.

The ideal energy efficient house uses the best insulation and windows. My idea is to have a central atrium with a translucent roof and garden underneath. The structure would also be earth-sheltered for insulation and storm-proofing. By using passive solar collectors it would have hot water and heat. On-demand water heaters would take up any lack of hot water in the plumbing. Solar panels and batteries would provide electricity, with a biofueled steam powered generator for cloudy days, nights or whenever extra power was needed. Running water through underground pipes would provide cooling in the summer. If needed a heat pump could extract heat from the water in the winter.

Such a house would use little outside energy, being hooked to the electric grid only in case it was needed. J. R. R. Tolkien came close with his Hobbit houses, just not modern enough. I'm an Underhill at heart.

Answer 4

Hiya

Turn everything right off at night

Replace all bulbs to the energy saving type


Insulate walls and roof spaces


Install double glazing


recycle waste water for flushing the loo (needs a plumber tho!)


put a brick in the water cystern


Only use lights as needed don't leave burning.

buy the new wooden screen and cabinted computers from currys in August (only use 12% of the power of the normal plastic ones apparently)

Recycle and compost food wast

Well there are a few ideas, I suppose solar panels would probably help too but a tad expensive.

Insulate all doors windows to stop heat escapin in winter.

Answer 5

There are several ways you can save energy in the home, here are some examples:

Cavity wall insulation is one of the most cost effective ways to save energy. This measure alone can save you up to £150 a year on your fuel bills.

Loft insulation can prevent approximately 30% of your heat from escaping through the roof. The current recommended depth for loft insulation is 250mm or 10inches.

Keep out cold draughts by fitting draught proofing to external doors and windows. If you can feel cold air coming in, hot air will be escaping out.

Improve your heating controls by installing timers, thermostats and individual thermostatic radiator valves.

When you need to replace your central heating boiler, install a high efficiency model such as a condensing boiler.

Turn your room thermostat down by just 1°C. This could save you up to 10% on your heating bills.

Set your hot water cylinder thermostat to 60°C, this should be adequate for bathing and washing.

Always turn off lights when leaving a room and avoid leaving electrical appliances on standby.

Fit energy saving light bulbs. These last up to 10 times longer than an ordinary bulbs and can save you £10 a year on your fuel bills.

Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping.
Each time you use the kettle make sure you only boil the amount you actually need.

Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or use the half-load or economy programme.

If you have a tumble dryer, avoid filling it with very wet clothes. Wring them out or spin them first. Your clothes will dry faster and you wont use as much energy.

Don’t leave your fridge door open for longer than necessary as the cold air will escape. Avoid putting warm or hot food straight into the fridge, allow it to cool first.

Lag your hot water pipes and tanks to stop heat escaping.
When buying new appliances check the energy label and save money by choosing a model that’s A or B rated.

Answer 6

If you cook with a microwave oven instead of a regular stove or oven, you will not only save the cost of gas or electricity you actually cook with but you won't heat your home up in the summer, thus causing you to run the A/C more. SO microwave cooking gives you a double saving.

Plus if you schedule your laundry to do one small load a day, you can let a days worth of clothes hang dry each day instead of expending energy with a clothes dryer.

You can turn your water heater thermostat down if it makes you feel better, but you'll just end up using more hot water when you shower to maintain the comfort you have come to expect when you shower.

And even though they cost more, those expensive flourescent light bulbs really do pay for themselves because they don't burn up a lot of of electricity that turns into waste heat that the A/C has to work to get rid of.

Answer 7

Use energy efficient bulbs. Turn your thermostat for your heating down , do not leave things on standby or lights on in a room that is not in use. Make sure that all windows and doors are draft free because if they are not heat escapes and you find yourself turning heating up to compensate. If heating needs to be on, turn the radiators off in rooms that are not being currently used. Use a steamer when cooking potatoes and veg, that way you only use one ring of the cooker. Make sure all pipes and the hot water tank is properly insulated. You can also buy heat reflectors for the back of radiators, they increase the heat even when your heating is turned down. Or a cheap alternative is to line the back of radiators with tin foil it helps reflect heat back into the room, meaning heating can be turned down. If you have an electric alarm clock do away with it and use the alarm on your mobile phone instead or buy an alarm that doesnt rely on electricity. I bought two steamers and sometimes turn this into a five tier steamer so that I can steam fish and cook pieces of chicken breast along with potatoes and various veg. One ring is used as opposed to all four and maybe the grill.

Answer 8

You need to upgrade your insulation and turn the thermostat down a few degrees, it’s just as comfortable and cut the bill by 20%. You could also get flash water heater and energy star appliances. Change all the light bulbs, of course, to CFB’s with nicer softer light. Use power strips for all appliances so you can easily unplug all your devices.

Answer 9

Here's a simple one (but one my wife can't seem to manage!). Plan ahead when you defrost food and let it thaw in your refrigerator. You've paid to turn it into a sub-zero block of ice, so now transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator two days before you cook it and it will save you money and energy by cooling the 'fridge.

Also, don't put hot leftovers in the refrigerator, let them cool on the kitchen counter first.

Finally do eat leftovers and don't waste food. Energy has been used to grow/clean/wrap/transport/store/cook the food so you're saving a lot of energy by using things up. In fact, given that 30,000 children die EACH DAY of malnutrition in the world, I reckon it's a real sin to waste food.

The answer on using a clothesline to dry laundry is correct; a dryer is the biggest user of energy in the house. I'm sure if we in wet England can use clotheslines, sunny Californians can too.

Answer 10

Ensure you have good insulation. teh newer ones will save more energy.
Newer windows that are double pane insulate better as well.
Get a thermostat that you can program to work at certain times. You can program it to turn on in the morning and off when you go to work. then on again when you're back from work and off when you go to bed. It does help.