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There are many things we can do in our daily lives that will help reduce the running costs of our homes and in the process reduce our carbon footprint as well. Often it's simply a case of getting into new habits.
Here are more than 20 tips to consider:
- Equipment on stand-by uses up to 20% of the energy it would use when fully on. When an appliance is not in use, turn it off fully. Buy an extension lead with a single off switch - some are even remote controlled!
- Using one unit of electricity in your home releases twice as much CO2 as one unit of gas and it is twice as expensive. Electrical elements use the most electricity, such as those in the oven, kettle, electric bar heaters, hot water cylinder, etc
- When boiling the kettle, only fill with as much as you need each time. Emptying the kettle overnight reduces scale build-up, keeping the element efficient and your hot drinks tasting better.
- Change electricity companies to those providing renewable sourced electricity, like Airtricity. They are cheaper and you help the planet by forcing the main electricity supplier to buy their wind generated electricity.
- New kitchen appliances carry an energy rating label which rate energy efficiency on a scale from A - G. When buying new appliances look for A rated products which are more energy efficient so cost less to run.
- Do not under or overload appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. A 40°C rather than 60°C wash cycle cuts electricity use by approximately a third. (Modern washing powders and detergents can work equally effectively at lower temperatures.)
- When possible, run washing machines and dishwashers after 8pm when rates are cheaper and the demand on the grid is less.
- Defrost your freezer regularly to save energy and extend the operating life. Freezers need not be set to the highest setting either. Find a setting that works for your home.
- The use of renewable technologies (such as solar water heating) avoids the harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production.
- Halve your running costs quite easily. Find out where you are loosing heat or wasting energy in your home, so that you can implement a plan of action to rectify it as your budget allows. Each improvement made will save you more money and many don't cost that much either. See the Ecodev Eco-audit options for more information.
- Sheltering of the home through external obstacles can further reduce the impact of adverse weather conditions on the home as cold winds draw out the heat from the house.
- Mature trees, hedges or structures on the northern side of the home protects against driving rain and winds in winter and do not reduce solar gain or light into the home. To be effective, these obstacles need to be as high as the insulation in the roof and the distance between the obstacle and the house is not to be more than 5 times the height of the roof insulation level.
- Showering for more than 5 minutes (each person) removes the cost effectiveness of the shower if the hot water is not supplied through solar panels.
- Lowering the temperature of the hot water cylinder saves 10% for every degree. Do not set it lower than 60 degrees, otherwise Legionnaire's desease could cultivate. Alter this temperature setting with the change in seasons, if needed.
- Servicing your boiler regularly keeps it at optimum efficiency, saving fuel.
- Keeping the oil tank more than half full lessens evaporation space in the tank, thereby saving fuel. Keeping this tank shaded by shrubs, boundary fence, etc keeps it cooler thereby further reducing evaporation rate.
- Closing the chimney when not in use prevents the warm air from escaping. there are many options available fom fitted dampners to temporary chimney balloons. Of course a stove is more than twice as efficient in heating as an open fire and a stove can be closed when not in use. You also use about half the fuel that you would in an open fire.
- Have your chimney cleaned regularly. Not only is this a safety precaution, but the chimney will draw properly, giving you better heat form the fire.
- Place down draught protectors onto the chimney pot. This improves the draw of the chimney and prevents smoke blowing into the room.
- See the rest of the Ecodev blogs for specific cost saving measures.
- Line curtains to help keep the heat. Open them during the day to allow the sun in and close them at night to keep in the heat.
- Make use of the grants available through SEAI to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Remember, saving energy = saving money.
Let's face it, rads are not the most attractive features in the house, but most of us have them and rely on them every year. So what can we do to make them work harder and cost us less?
1. Keep the fluids flowing.
The problem:
Do you have cold areas in the centre of the rad? This is caused by a build up of sludge (dirty thick radiator "water"). Sudge prevents the water in the heating system from getting around the house quickly and settles in the area of least disruption - the middle of your rad. Now up to half the radiator is not giving off heat, the boiler has to work harder, uses more fuel and costs you more.
The solution:
Flush the system every few years (google this for process or get yourself a Reader's Digest DIY book). This is actually very easy as long as you follow the process. Place sludge remover in the system (if you have these cold spots and a flush does not remove them. When cold spot gone, drain again and place in the inhibitor (helps prevent sludge build up).
2. Hot air is only good for balloons.
The problem:
Air gets into the radiator system over time. Apart form taking up space and making the radiators less efficient (hot water retains more heat than air), this is noisy and not the best thing for a boiler.
The solution:
Buy a copper (won't strip like the cheaper aluminium ones) radiator key and when the system is next off, go around to each radiator and let out the air. Simply turn the key a few times until air able to leave easily.Place a container under that part of the rad and even use an old cloth to catch the water coming out. It will gurgle and spurt erratically, initially, as the air leaves. Wait until you have a steady flow of water only, then close completely. If you do this when system is on, you wil be dealing with hot water and will be chasing bubbles around the house. Harware stores also sell a liquid you can place into the system that blocks up small holes. This will reduce the air intake.
3. Heating up your furniture?
The problem:
Placing furniture in front of radiators simply heats the furniture and only some of the room.
The solution:
If this is done to hide the rad, rearrange the room and place an attractive timber radiator cover over the rad or change it for a feature radiator. If it cannot be avoided and the furniture is not soft, fix some strong tin foil to the back of the furniture, covering the area in front of the rad. this will bounce the heat back into the air. Try to leave some space in front of the rad to allow this air movement.
4. Prevent the heat going into the walls.
The problem:
Radiators on external walls throw a lot of heat into the walls that leaves the house and is a waste of money.
The solution:
A tin foil surface between the rad and the external wall will bounce back the heat into the room and not heat up the wall. Either buy these at your local hardware store (I have seen these at B&Q) or make your own. To do this, measure the height of the rad and the distance between the wall brackets. Now get some hardboard and reinforced kitchen foil (will not tear as easily as standard foil). Cut your hardboard so that you create a slot for each radiator wall bracket, tape the foil (with shiny side out) to one the hard board and then slide down over wall brackets to sit neatly behind the rad.
The hardboard keeps the foil rigid. You will not see it, but you will certainly feel the difference! Don't bother with internal wall radiators as the house benefits from heating up internal walls - will radiate out the heat back to the house anyway.
Ecodev provides energy efficiency consultations particular to your situation. Our written report can be used as a 5 year plan to ensure all improvements undertaken compliment the work already done. The Energy Efficiency Report can also be used as a step by step guide to know what to tackle next.
Visit our site for more detail.
Traditionally, the solution to heating our homes and its hot water was using oil boilers, topping up with electricity, as needed, and a roaring open fire (with or without back boilers) in the sitting room. There is nothing wrong with an oil boiler, as long as it is efficient - 10 year old boilers are not. Back boilers are an improvement in that you are at least getting more out of the fire than the little bit of heat it supplies the room. Electricity is the most expensive heating solution and should be avoided at all costs
Where am I going with this? Convergence!
In the past, we looked at heating solutions in isolation, ie: the oil for the water and the back boiler for those couple of radiators, etc. We need to start thinking about combining heating solutions in cost effective ways that benefits the most from each type individually so that the combined solution is efficient and effective.
Renewable energy sources like air source heat pumps (air to water) combine well with existing (efficient) oil boilers. The expensive part of heating water is the first 20-30 degrees (just listen to your kettle struggling at first). After that, the water’s temperature is easier and therefore cheaper to raise and happens more quickly. Have a look at the Ecodev renewable energy page for a practical description of what these are and how they can help you
Air to Water Heat Pumps use the same technology as fridges and effectively draw the heat from the air, even at -3°C. They are cost effective up to 30°C; the expensive part of heating by oil or electricity. At 30°C, the oil boiler fires up and heats the water for the existing radiators up to the 60°C+. Add solar panels into the mix and annual savings add up even more.
Geothermal aka Ground Source Heat Pumps do the same job as Air Source Heat Pumps, they just get their heat from the ground or ground water. To be effective, you either need the long ground loops placed below frost level at around 1.5m or sink a couple of bore holes to take the benefit from the more constant heat of the water deeper in the earth.
Condensing Boilers are up to 97% efficient compared to the 60-70% of standard boilers (and worse if older than 10 years. Even if 75% efficient, you are still throwing away one quarter of each tank of oil, about €150, each time you fill it. Condensing boilers re-use heat that is given off in the process of heating up the water and together with improvements in the way they operate makes them that much more efficient. They also happen to be a lot quieter!
Solar Panels come in many shapes and forms and some are more efficient than others. Evacuated tube panels are the most efficient, flat bed are the most aesthetically pleasing. In the northern hemisphere, optimum orientation is within 15 degrees of south and a 30 degree pitch is the most efficient, followed closely by a 45 degree pitch roof.
If evacuated tube type, check that the tubes are at least 60mm diametre and compare how many tubes you get per metre length.
For all types, check if they use copper tubing in the manifold? What insulation is around the pipe carrying the water to the cylinder? Is the cylinder a well insulated stainless steel type. Is there provision for a third coil in the cylinder for future upgrades? Is the cylinder at least 300litres (for averge family)? Ask for proof of the kW output of the unit, per metre squared, so you can compare apples with apples.
You need to use hot water to make a solar panel work for you. Eg: If you only shower and have a Triton type shower that produces it's own hot water, you will not be needing much hot water apart form the washing machine (if it does not heat it's own water). Payback periods will be that much longer and you will be better off improving some other aspect of efficiency in your home.
Heat Pumps are very efficient and they cost more than conventional oil/gas heating systems.
Payback periods are as follows:
Ground Source Heat Pumps: about 18 years
Air to Water Heat Pumps: about 11 years
Efficient Condensing Oil Boiler & rads: about 7 years
Solar Panels: about 3 years
Of course these payback times are dependent on the efficiency of the rest of the elements making up the house - the building envelope needs to be seen as a unit, made up of different parts that need to complement each other and the whole. Effective controls need to be put in place to determine and check how much heating is being provided and only when you need it. This prevents unneccesary heating and waste
One week link and the rest are affected, eg: build a very efficient timber frame or ICF house, with Geothermal heating, Solar Panels and Heat Recovery Systems, but save money by putting in single glazing (or any non A-rated windows and doors) and all the heat will leave via this weak link
So why these heating systems not commonly done?
Necessity for more efficient systems has recently created more effective, cheaper solutions. Lack of understanding of the individual elements and how it all fits into the bigger picture has created a wariness to start. Regulations have only recently started inforcing implementation in new builds and the escalating price of fossil fuels will do the rest
Ecodev provides energy efficient designs, energy usage consultations and BER certification.
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