Insulation Tips to help reduce our Carbon Footprint

Whenever and wherever possible hang your clothes out to dry, as tumble driers are one of the most expensive electrical appliances. If you are drying indoors, don´t put your clothes over a radiator. This stops the heat from reaching the rest of the room. Put up a clothes rail in an unheated room opening the window to reduce the risk of condensation. Shut the door to stop heat being drawn into that room.

Turn your room thermostat down by 1°C and this will reduce your heating bill by up to 10%. You could save around £50 - £60 per year. When washing up or running a bath turn the thermostat on your hot water tank down to 60°C, this is more than comfortable. Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and it will pay for itself within a few months. An ordinary shower uses two fifths of the water of a bath. In contrast, power showers use as much water as a bath and sometimes even more.

If your boiler is over 15 years old it´s probably time to replace it. New gas boilers must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help save around a third on your heating bills. It is worth upgrading to modern controls such as Thermostatic Radiator Valves as this will help to save even more money.

Switch to energy saving lightbulbs. They last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs and could save you around £60 over its lifespan. Always turn off the lights when leaving the room. Most people think that turning the light on and off uses more energy, this isn't the case.

When cooking use a lid on saucepans so the food heats more quickly and uses less energy. The saucepan should match the heating ring size or you will be paying to heat the air, only the bottom of the pan should be heated. If you are using the kettle only use as much water as you need. (see cup indicator)

Switch off appliances when not in use such as computers, televisions, video recorders, as they use energy when they are left on standby. A DVD player uses around 80% - 90% of its energy when it is not in use but left on standby.

Only wash full loads when using the washing machine but if not use the economy programme. Always use a low temperature setting as modern machines automatically heat the water. Similar rules should apply for dishwashers. Modern dishwashers use less energy and water than washing by hand.

Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a brush or seal on your exterior doors. Keyholes and letterboxes should also be covered. Draught excluders or draughts dodgers should be placed at the bottom of external doors. Any gaps in floorboards or skirting boards should be filled with beading or sealant.

Old appliances will cost you two and a half times more in energy consumption than modern ones. When purchasing new appliances always look for the energy rating and choose an appliance as close to A Rated as possible. Also look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. When buying a computer, choose a laptop over a desktop as they use far less electricity and also save space.