The recent increases in energy costs have seen everyone facing higher bills to heat their home.
At Rykneld Homes we want to help our customers save energy and control their bills and have put together some useful tips you could use in your home:
- Turn your thermostat down by one degree – you could save around £60 per year
- If your freezer is not full, use rolled up newspaper to fill the space – you could save around £20 per year
- Shut your curtains and doors at dusk – you could save around £15-20 per year
- Turn lights off when you leave a room
- Don’t leave electrical equipment on standby, switch off your TV at the socket
- Use your washing machine and dryer at full capacity unless you have a half load function
- When boiling your kettle, only use as much water as you need
- Report dripping taps to our Repairs Team (especially hot water taps)
- Fit low energy lightbulbs and LEDs – you could save around £55 per bulb for its lifetime
- Take the free Home Energy Check from the Energy Saving Trust.
Get in touch if you have any energy saving tips you want to share – we may even use your ideas here!
If you want more information, please get in touch with us or contact the Energy Saving Trust on freephone 0300 123 1234.
Derbyshire County Council along with Transition Chesterfield have produced a leaflet - 'Easy Ways to Cut Energy Bills & Carbon'. This contains:
- Simple low cost energy saving measures and the potential annual savings
- Next steps (medium and bigger cost ways to reduce carbon)
- What to do if you are worried about your energy bills.
We want to do our best to help you stay comfortable, warm and happy in your home.
We have some ideas of how to help improve energy efficiency and save you money. We would love to hear what you think so please read on to find out what we are intending to do and get in touch!
Working to deliver efficient heating systems... Efficient heating is essential, not just for your comfort but also to save money. Replacing an old non condensing boiler can save around 60% on your heating bills. We are currently working towards replacing all old boilers with modern, A Rated condensing units.
Fitting external doors and windows... We have been working throughout the district replacing wooden doors with new composite doors, which have the latest draught excluders fitted to them. As a result of having new windows and doors fitted, you will save around £35 per year on your energy bills as well as other improvements, including better security.
To work with utility suppliers to connect properties to gas where possible... The National Grid are looking at connecting properties to the gas network where they currently do not have a gas supply. We are also exploring installing innovative heating systems such as combined heat and power, to maximise the benefits to tenants and reduce fuel poverty.
To look into innovative heating systems where gas is not possible... Where a gas connection is not possible, we are exploring renewable heat technologies. Please contact us for further information about this.
To look into insulating all properties (including solid wall) to maximise tenant comfort and save money... Insulation is essential for a warm and happy home. We have been filling cavity walls and topping up loft insulation around the district over the last few years. Not all properties can be insulated in this way. Building on the success of this programme, we are working with a range of external partners to investigate ways of insulating hard to treat homes around the district.
Look to install heating controls to support any existing heating system and increase efficiency... Having an energy efficient boiler is crucial to save energy and money. To maximise the effectiveness of these boilers, they must be used properly. A boiler is not efficient when it is working unnecessarily. We are looking into the benefits of fitting the latest room thermostats, timers and thermostatic radiator valves in homes to maximise boiler efficiency.
To ensure that staff visiting tenants' homes are trained and have access to energy saving information... We will be training staff visiting tenants to enable them to provide energy saving advice and money saving tips. We also plan to hold energy events in the future.
To work with tenants to ensure that any upgrades are understood and used effectively... If you have any concerns or just want to chat about how you could save money on your energy bills, please contact us.
In the future, we are hoping to adapt our properties with some renewable energy systems. If we are able to do this, we will make sure you know exactly what is happening. Have a look at the following information and let us know what you think:
- Exploring the potential to fit suitable properties with solar electricity, heat pumps, biomass units and combined heat and power
- To work with tenant groups to ensure that this is being fitted to their bespoke comfort and choice
- To reinvest money earned from government schemes for the development of continual improvement schemes for tenants
- To help tenants gain maximum savings, benefits and understanding of the technology fitted to their property.
Biomass … Solar Electricity … Heat Pumps
Some of the terms used when talking about energy saving and renewable energy can seem quite baffling. The Rykneld Energy Savers are here to cut the jargon…
Biomass Boilers - These boilers run on wood pellets that have been sustainably harvested from forests or coppices and are immediately replanted. This means that when you burn the crop in the boiler, the same amount of carbon is being reabsorbed by the new crop of fuel – it is therefore classed as entirely carbon neutral.
Carbon Neutral - Balancing of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with renewable energy that creates a similar amount of useful energy, so that the carbon emissions are compensated.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - produced by human activities, primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels. It is thought to contribute to Global warming and can be reduced through the use of renewable technologies.
Coefficient of Performance (CoP) - The measure of how many units of heat are generated per unit of electricity used to run the heat pump.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – It rates your home for energy efficiency on a scale of A to G. It also provides information on how to improve the energy efficiency and the level you would attain if you put the measures in place.
Heat Pumps - This is a system that uses refrigeration technology to pull solar heat energy out of either the air or ground. The heat pump uses electricity but can be up to around 400% efficient.
kWh – kilowatt hour is a unit used to measure energy. Electricity bills are charged in kilowatt hours.
Low carbon energy – Refers to technologies minimising the amount of carbon (or greenhouse gas) emitted into the atmosphere. At a domestic level it includes air and ground source heat pumps and combined heat and power.
Micro Combine Heat and Power (CHP) – This also produces electricity when running the central heating system as normal. Although they run off mains gas, they are referred to as 'low carbon' technologies as they are up to 90% more efficient than conventional old boilers thanks to producing off grid technology.
National Grid - The National Grid is the high-voltage electric power transmission network in the UK.
Renewable energy – Is energy generated from sustainable natural resources, such as sun, wind, water and geothermal heat.
Solar Electricity (PV) – This is the most common form of renewable energy in the UK, thanks to the Government Feed in Tariff scheme.
