Energy Saving Week

This week is Energy Saving Week! Here are the Energy Saving Trust’s five top tips to reduce annual energy bills by £250 and save the equivalent of a return flight from Belfast to Rome in carbon emissions:

1. Installing reflective radiator panels behind radiators on external, uninsulated cavity or solid walls could save around £20 and 100kg of carbon dioxide ever year.

2. Draught proofing windows and doors with low cost DIY strips can save you around £45 and 150kg of carbon dioxide a year in an oil heated home.

3. If you’re feeling warm enough, lowering your thermostat from 22°C to 21°C can save you £100 annually and 440kg of carbon dioxide every year. The World Health Organisation advises that the most comfortable temperature range for most people is between 18°C and 21°C.

4. If you use a heated drying rack instead of an electric tumble dryer you could save around £30 and 20kg of carbon dioxide every year. Just remember to ventilate your home when you use it to get rid of excess moisture.

5. Avoid standby mode and turn off unused devices to save around £55 and reduce carbon emissions by up to 35kg every year.