Imagine someone coming along and cutting a hole the size of a side plate in your front door! What would that do to the temperature in your home? Not to mention the cost of energy to replace all that lost heat. Well, if you have a leaky letter box, draughty doors and windows or excess ventilation … you have that virtual big hole in that virtual door! So, what can you do to keep yourself warmer this coming winter? Stopping draughts around doors, windows and letter boxes will be a great start. If you have an unused chimney that’s another big hole! A chimney balloon or a chimney blocker can sort that out. And don’t forget holes around pipes that go through external walls or into the loft.
Doing what you can to save money is important. Martin Lewis (Money Expert) says, most people will be paying about the same as last year for energy because although energy will be a bit cheaper, we will lse the £66 per month energy relief and now standing charges cost more. Overall, this leaves us paying double what we paid before the energy crisis. Sadly, these high prices look like they are here to stay. Counter to the view that you always pay more for green energy, residents have saved by switching suppliers (https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/energy). Every penny you spend now on insulation and other energy saving devices will save you money in the future. It sends a shiver to think, as predicted by climate scientists, that if the Gulf Stream stops bathing the UK in warm sea currents, we will have colder winters. Bearing in mind that Barrow is as close to the North Pole as much of Canada!
OK, let’s discuss some quick wins. Do you have the recommended 270mm (about 11”) of loft insulation and a draught-proof loft hatch to minimize 25% of your heat going through the roof? If you live in rented accommodation, ask your landlord to top it up. Not forgetting another 20% which goes out of the windows. In the good old days, everyone had thick heavy curtains to keep the heat in or cold out. Thus, if you are going to replace old curtains consider insulated curtains. Or if it’s time to replace windows what about secondary or triple glazing? In addition, up to 15% of heat is lost downwards if you have a wooden floor and joists. A carpet with a good underlay insulates better than laminate. Don’t forget to fi ll any gaps around skirting boards.
Do you pour money down the drain? If you’re not keen on this, only fill your kettle with the water you need and heat to the temperature required. And for you Eco Warriors, how about washing in cold water (surprisingly stimulating) or for the rest of us, having a quicker shower. As invigorating as they are, you do not need a power shower to be clean. High-volume power showers can use more water in less than five minutes than running a bath!
The Barrow Greener Living group has talked to villagers asking how they saved money last winter. The most common responses were keeping themself warm by wearing warmer clothes, using blankets, and turning down their heating. Overall, it was about keeping themselves warm rather than the entire home. Why heat 75% of your home that you hardly use? In a similar way people said they have started to use electric blankets which are relatively cheap to use. And some stated they are using hot water bottles again.
Sorry about this … but here is a ‘smart’ way of using less electricity … educate (bribe) children to turn lights and gadgets off when not required! While we are on lighting, LED light bulbs can be 75% more efficient. Using a microwave or an air fryer instead of heating a big oven is also clever. You could save ££’s by simply drying clothes on the washing line if the weather allows or using an indoor air dryer. But if there is no alternative you can save £106 per year by switching to a modern efficient tumble dryer (Which Magazine). Now here is a really smart thing you could do, buy a thermometer that also measures humidity (from about £3.00). Controlling ventilation so that you maintain 60% humidity or lower would be a good target to aim for. High humidity and poor ventilation will lead to damp and mold. Too much ventilation and you are losing energy.
There are many other things that you could do to save money and we recommend you visit the Energy Saving Trust website for more ideas (https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/)
Barrow Greener Living is a friendly group that you could join and/or support. We are planning to buy a thermal camera to assess where buildings are losing heat to support our community and will make available a detailed information pack about saving energy and money. Watch out for more information at Barrowgreenerliving.co.uk.
Bob Johnson