The Green Guide to your Home

Introduction

You wouldn’t throw money out of your window, but if you waste energy in your home, this is exactly what you are doing every day.

Knowing how to best use your gas, electricity and water will save you money AND help the environment. Over 40% of CO2 emissions (the main cause of global warming) in Greater Manchester come from everyday things like heating our homes."

Know your heating

Thermostatic radiator valves

Turning these down can save money on your heating. These valves are attached to your radiators and control the temperature of the room the radiator’s in. The higher the number, the hotter the room, so if you’re not using a room, turn them right down to save money."

Room thermostat

Unlike a radiator valve, a room thermostat controls the temperature of your whole home. You set it to whatever temperature you like and – when the room the thermostat’s in reaches that temperature – your central heating will stop.

As the room cools down below that temperature, your heating automatically comes back on.

The higher the number set on the thermostat, the more it will cost.

Turning your thermostat down by just 1° saves around £80 a year on your energy bill. Set your thermostat to between 18° and 21° for a comfortable temperature.

The time clock/programmer

The time clock programmer automatically controls when your central heating boiler switches on and off.

• The blue tappet is ON
• The red tappet is OFF

To set the time when your boiler comes on and goes off, press the blue and red tappets in carefully and move them to the times you want.

You can set two ON/OFF periods each day, so there is no need to leave your heating on all day, especially if you’re not going to be at home."

Using a programmer, thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves can save you around £180 and 340kg of CO2 a year.

Appliances and Lighting

Energy-efficient appliances

The types of appliances in your home, like TVs and dishwashers, can make a huge difference to the amount of energy you use.
The less they use, the less they cost to run. Larger items tend to use more energy. Look out for the energy ratings label on
appliances. The closer to A+++ it is, the cheaper it will be to use.
The way that you use your appliances can affect your energy bills. Follow these tips to save money:

• Try washing your clothes on a 30°C cycle to save up to 40% energy
• Always use full loads for washing machines and dishwashers
• Use the eco cycle on your dishwasher
• Air-dry your clothes instead of using a tumble dryer
• Don’t leave your electrical appliances on standby – switching them off will save you around £55 on your electricity bill.

Energy-saving light bulbs

Using energy-saving bulbs can save you a lot of money on your electricity bills. New energy-saving bulbs give you the same brightness as traditional bulbs but cost a lot less to run.

There are two main types of energy-saving light bulb available in the UK: Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

LEDs are particularly good to use – by replacing all bulbs in your home with LEDs, you could save about £40 a year."

Your bills

Heating your home can be expensive, but you don’t have to sacrifice your everyday comforts to cut heating costs.

Compare suppliers

Switching to a cheaper supplier has never been easier. If you’ve been with your current supplier over a year, you’re likely paying too much. Visit a price comparison website, such as Money Supermarket or USwitch to see how much you could save if you switch.

If you’re not confident using websites, Manchester City Council runs a number of sessions to help people to use the internet. Contact our digital inclusion officer on 0161 720 5880 for details.   

Choose direct debits and paperless billing

Many companies offer a discount to customers who pay by direct debit. You can often get a discount by switching to paperless bills, too.

Give regular meter readings

If you don’t give regular gas and electricity meter readings, your bills will be based on estimates that could see you paying much more for your energy than you actually use.

Smart meters

Smart meters show you how much energy you are using, how much it is costing and give automatic readings to your supplier. That means no more costly estimated bills and you can keep an eye on exactly what you’re spending.

Renewable technologies

A number of our properties are now fitted with renewable technologies. When used correctly, these can help you to save energy and money.

If you have any of the following...

• solar PV panels
• an air source heat pump
• heating from a ground source heat pump

…and would like advice about how to use them to save yourself even more money, please call us on 0161 720 5829."

Energy-related grants and support

Winter Fuel Payment

You may be eligible for between £100 and £300 tax – free to help pay your heating bills if you were born on or before 5 May 1953. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.

Fuel debt

If you are in debt with your energy supplier, they are required to help you set regular repayment amounts you can afford. You should call them immediately to arrange a payment plan.

Call 03000 123 123 to find out more.

Water

By saving water, you’ll be saving energy, saving money and helping to fight climate change. On average, each person in the UK uses about 150 litres of water every day and much of this is wasted. Here are some top tips to prevent this.

Get a water meter

Water meters can save you money, especially if there is only one or two people in your household. Contact United Utilities to see if one’s right for you. They have a number of schemes to help people struggling with their water bills, so even if they can’t fit a meter, you may still be able to save money.

Call them on 0345 672 2888.   

Fill `em up!

Make sure that your dishwashers and washing machines are full before putting them on.

Go off the boil

Only boil as much water as you need to avoid waste.

Turn it off

A running tap wastes over 6 litres of water a minute, so turn off the tap whilst brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face and use cold water where you don’t need hot.

If everybody in a family of four replaced one bath a week with a five-minute shower, they would save up to £56 a year on gas and – if they have a water meter – up to £50 on water bills.

Recycling

Recycling is very important in the fight against climate change. Just recycling a quarter of all household waste is as good for the environment as taking three and a half million cars off our roads.

Here’s what you can recycle:

Top 10 energy and money saving tips

1. Turn your thermostat down by just one degree; it can reduce your fuel bill by 10 percent!
2. Use your central heating timer/programmer to switch your heating on when you need it and off when you don’t
3. Use low-energy bulbs where possible – they’re cheaper to run and last much longer
4. Draw the curtains at night time to keep in the warmth
5. Don’t leave your TV and other electric appliances on standby as this still uses lots of energy
6. Take a shower instead of a bath – it uses just a third of the water and energy
7. Only boil the amount of water you need
8. Save in the kitchen; put lids on saucepans and use just enough water to cover the food; use a microwave to cook small meals and defrost your freezer regularly, so it doesn’t have to work so hard
9. Look out for the Energy Ratings label on appliances – the closer to A+++ something is, the cheaper it will be to use
10. Switch off all chargers for phones, tablets and laptops when not in use