Energy Conservation
Energy Conservation Energy Auditing Services Renewable Energy Local Energy Agencies

 

Saving energy at home is easy and not always expensive. If you simply start to think and become aware about energy you can reduce your bills by 5%.

 
In County Mayo we spend approximately £146 million on energy annually. Each person in Mayo spends over £1,000 per year on energy.
Mayo homes produce in the region of 225,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. It is carbon dioxide that is the main cause of Global Warming.
Some more simple facts on:
Heating Lighting Insulation Water Appliances Energy Survey 
 

 

Heating :

Reducing your central heating thermostat setting by 1 oC can save up to 10% on your fuel bill.
Don't place furniture in front of radiators and heaters.
Use thick lined curtains - these will act as insulation and stop heat leaving the room.
Put reflective foil behind radiators. The foil reflects heat back in to the room.
Don't open doors or windows  to cool down a room - turn down the heating  thermostat instead
Fill in gaps between floors and skirting board using modern sealants which will ensure draught-free rooms.

 Top of Page

 

Lighting 

 

Energy saving bulbs use about quarter of the energy of a standard bulb for the same amount of light and  up to 10 times longer.
Switch off lights in rooms that are not being used.
When buying energy saving light bulbs please note that Low Voltage does not  mean low energy and you  will not save any electricity by using them.
If replacing standard florescent tubes (T12), it is best to replace them with a more energy efficient T8 model.

 

Top of Page

 

Insulation

 

A hot water cylinder lagging jacket costs about IR£8 and will save you about IR£2.00 per week.
Make  sure your loft hatch fits snugly- warm air rises and will find a way out if it can..

If you cannot afford double glazing consider using secondary glazing (e.g. plastic sheet of polycell or cling film) which although not permanent does cut down on heat loss though the glass and can eliminate draughts. It is also low cost and can be removed during the summer.

 

Top of Page

 

 

WATER

 

Fix dripping hot taps promptly. Otherwise you are wasting £'s per year for the sake of a small rubber washer.
Set hot water thermostats to 55-60oC max. There is no point heating water to the point where it has to be cooled down before you can use it !
Use plugs in basins and sinks etc. - running the hot water tap is expensive and wasteful !
Take a shower instead of a bath. A shower typically uses only 20% the amount of hot water that a bath uses, so you could have five refreshing showers for the price of a bath.

Top of Page

 

Appliances

 

Only boil as much water in the kettle as you require.
Once a saucepan is boiling, turn down the heat down, vigorous boiling is no hotter than gentle boiling. Use a lid too, this will cut down on moisture escaping.
Defrost fridge's and freezers regularly. Try to keep the fridge door shut and your freezer full (even if you just use empty boxes).
Try to install fridges and freezers well away from cookers and other sources of heat.
Don't put hot  food in the fridge. This causes the fridge to heat up which means it has to use energy to cool itself down again.
Turn the TV fully off. A television could cost you up to £12 extra per year just by being left on 'Standby'. 
 

TOP OF PAGE

 

If you want to know more about your energy consumption, fill out one of our HOME ENERGY SURVEY'S.  You can contact Mayo Energy Agency to receive one or you can pick one up at Mayo County Council or any of the Urban District Council offices. When completed we will  produce a list of possible ways  to save you money off the cost of heating, lighting and providing hot water. 
 

You can contact us at  mayonrg@eircom.net 
 

[ Home ] [ Energy Conservation ] [ Energy Auditing Services ] [ Renewable Energy ] [ Local Energy Agencies ]