I am urging local people to follow some of the below energy saving tips to reduce their energy bill and cut their carbon footprint:
- use smart meters, which show near real time energy usage displayed and in a clear format.
- to have cavity wall insulation installed, as approximately one third of heat lost in an uninsulated home is through the walls. If a home was built between the 1920s and the 1990s then insulating the walls could save £110 on annual heating bills
- to have loft insulation added, without which can result in a loss of 15% of the heating that bill payers pay for. Insulating a loft with 270mm of insulation could save up to £145 each year.
- replace a boiler that is over 15 years old with an A-rated condensing model with a full set of heating controls could save a quarter of a household’s annual heating bill immediately, which is £235 on average for a gas heated home.
- when buying new electrical products, to look for the Energy Saving Trust logo which is a quick and simple way of finding the most energy efficient products.
- switch to energy efficient lightbulbs, which last up to10 times as long as regular bulbs and could save up to £45 each year and £670 over the lifetime of all the bulbs if an entire household uses them.
- make use of the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive which encourages residents to lower their carbon emissions and make use of renewable energy. For more information on this scheme or to check if your home is eligible to take part, telephone 0300 003 0744.The Government provides a financial incentive for up to 7 years for homes which use 1) biomass boilers, 2) Solar Water Heaters 3) Certain Heat Pumps.
- switching energy supplier could save money by finding a supplier that is best suited to individual household needs. In order to get advice on which supplier and price plan would be best, residents can visit www.ofgem.gov.uk or contact the local Citizens Advice Bureau who will provide free and impartial advice as well as information on how to choose and change energy suppliers.
People may also still be eligible for Warm Home Discount for this winter. The Warm Home Discount is a scheme which allows some people a rebate of £140 off their electricity bill. People may be eligible if they get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or if they are on a low income and meet British Gas’s criteria for the scheme. They can still qualify if they use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.
I am encouraging my constituents who may be eligible and are British Gas customers to get in touch as soon as possible as the scheme will be closing soon.
To find out if they are eligible, they can:
- Visit the website
- Call 0800 072 8625
- Call 0800 294 8604 for pay as you go energy customers