Category: Save water

See below the Reduce my home energy use Sub-Actions. Click or tap the sections further below to reveal a summary of the benefits of reducing my home energy use, future-gazing to help visualise how this would work for you, a thought-provoking video, a step-by-step guide outlining how to achieve this Top Action, expert tips, and useful links and references.

It is recommended that you pick one or two of the Sub-Actions to progress at a time rather than try and complete them all at once. Visit our Approach page for other tips on how to set yourself up to minimise your environmental impact and get to net zero carbon.

Have you completed this Top Action already? You would need to complete:

• all the Halfway (0.5) Sub-Actions to complete half of the Top Action.
• all the Halfway (0.5) and Full (1.0) Sub-Actions to fully complete the Top Action.

Every bit of energy we use has an environmental impact. Reducing our home energy use is the first step on the energy hierarchy – the best energy is the energy not used at all. There are many opportunities for reducing our home energy use, which means there are a wide variety of different sub-actions and approaches that can be taken here, to suit different preferences.

There are many behaviours that can be adopted to reduce our home energy usage, which are very simple and will cost nothing but can save a lot of energy and money. For instance, Energy Saving Trust reported that turning the heating thermostat down by 1°C could save £60 (at 2021 prices) and 0.3 Tonnes of CO₂ each year. Following the 2022 energy crisis and large energy cost inflation, the cost savings due to energy saving measures may now be much higher than reported on this page.

There are other cheap options that save a lot of energy and money but are relatively simple DIY jobs, such as draught proofing, installing LED lights and insulating the loft.

Finally, there are some opportunities, such as insulating walls, that require a larger upfront investment but that will provide big energy and money savings over time.

Some of these sub-actions are also important enablers, for instance, insulating our homes to a reasonable level is strongly recommended to help get the most out of low carbon heating – see the Get low carbon heating EcoTracker Top Action.

Some of the sub-actions allow us to maintain our lifestyles but will cost money, such as insulating our homes or getting energy efficient appliances, although adopting energy efficient behaviour is a quick win that requires no money and so is available to all. All the sub-actions can potentially reduce our bills and save us money in the long run, whilst reducing our reliance on any fossil fuels that supply our heating or electricity. The use of fossil fuels (e.g. for our home energy use) can, in some cases, help to fund wars and social injustices as well as being an underlying cause of the climate and ecological emergency, and so should be minimised or preferably avoided.

By insulating our homes and improving our ventilation we can also improve our health. This will make the temperature of the home more stable and remove internal pollutants and moisture, stopping mould from growing and improving the air quality. By insulating our homes and improving their ventilation, their values may increase, as the benefits are becoming more widely recognised by home-owners and industry. For example, a larger mortgage may be available for a home with energy measures such as insulation installed.

Several of the sub-actions are relatively simple and suitable for DIY installation, although others will require a professional to do it. Those keen to do it themselves can learn new skills and save money on the installation.

Water scarcity is getting worse in many parts of the world, as climate change affects weather patterns and causes more extreme events such as droughts. Human water extraction can cause rivers and lakes to decline, which destroys a critical habitat for wildlife. By adopting water efficient behaviour and installing water saving equipment we can preserve this precious resource for all, take the pressure of the local water supply and allow rivers and lakes to support wildlife. Those who have a water meter can also save money. Our potable water supplies undergo much treatment and require pumping, all of which also requires energy, so by saving water we also save energy.

Try and imagine how your life will be and how you will feel when you complete this EcoTracker Top Action. This may feel like a big change or a small change, but really focus on how the benefits of the change could impact and improve your life and the lives of others.

For instance try and imagine how you will feel about:

• your reduced environmental impact which will help avoid the worst effects of climate change and ecological breakdown within your lifetime, helping to ensure you and others can live a long and full life.
• improved long term prospects for your children and future generations, who will have a much greater opportunity to avoid climate change and ecological breakdown during their lives. They will be much safer than in the alternative future of extreme climate change and ecological breakdown and many lives will be saved. Will you be able to look your child in the eye in years to come and say that you have done everything you can to protect their future?
• improved opportunities and social justice (climate justice) for those around the world who are currently struggling with the early impacts of climate change and ecological breakdown, with many lives and livelihoods saved.
• having a warmer home with improved air quality, which could improve your health.
• saving a lot of money in the short term and even more in the long run.
• saving water to avoid contributing to local shortages.
• learning useful new skills such as DIY.
• some of the above may be really life-changing for you and your overall standard of living.

An effective way of developing a commitment and ongoing motivation to progressing this EcoTracker Top Action is to work out which of the themes above generate the most powerful emotional responses for you personally. Then try to capture this in some way and store it for when you might need motivation later.

You might be able to create a strong image in your memory, or a link to existing memories. You might want to write down how you feel say on a post-it note or in a diary as a reminder; perhaps somewhere that you will regularly see the message or somewhere you can come back to when you want to. You might even want to share this on your ‘progress thread’ on social media. If you are feeling creative, perhaps even draw an image to represent your future. Also, consider whether you might already have an object which could trigger your motivation e.g. a picture of your children.

These steps are generic because this is your unique personal journey and you will need to explore the details for yourself, using this process and the Expert Tips below as a guide and support.

The time required to complete steps may vary quite a lot depending on your resources or skill level, or whether or not you do the work yourself or pay a professional to do it. It is recommended that you pick one or two of the Sub-Actions to progress at a time rather than try and do them all at once, and so you may go through steps multiple times for the different Sub-Actions before you have completed the Top Action.

1. Build motivation from within to complete this EcoTracker Top Action, assisted by reading the Benefits and Future-gazing to imagine how your life will improve (10 minutes)
2. Make a personal commitment and share this to social media (5 minutes)
3. Book a time in your diary for progressing your EcoTracker actions – you may wish to set up a regular slot for taking actions (5 minutes)
4. Research – read the guidance on this EcoTracker Top Action page such as the Expert Tips and you may wish to visit your community for support (30 minutes +)
5. Discuss with others in your household and agree broadly what you will do (15-30 minutes)
6. Get the resources lined up e.g. find what you need online, locate or borrow/rent/buy the materials and tools (2-3 hours)
7. Make a final decision on exactly what you will do and book in a date (15 minutes)
8. Complete all Sub-Actions to enable you to complete the Full Top Action (5 + hours)
9. Visit our Tracker page, and share your progress to social media (5 minutes). You may want to share your progress as you go through the steps for each Sub-Action.
10. Once you’ve mastered this Top Action, why not also help others in the community complete their’s, with tips and support (1 minute, periodically)

Start off by considering the Halfway sub-actions that will cost nothing or little but will save energy and money – these are quick wins. Make savings and reinvest these in the more expensive items. Or if you already have the money available, do progress the more expensive items as early as possible.

If you want to “Do It Yourself”, there are many DIY videos available online, for instance on Youtube, which can give you excellent advice.

Some heating related items are part of the Get low carbon heating EcoTracker Top Action.

For inspiration, watch videos with energy saving tips published by the Telegraph featuring the Energy Saving Trust (on this page, see above) and B & Q.

When progressing the more expensive items such as home insulation, first decide on what needs to be done and the order of priority. You’ll need to ensure that you have sufficient money available to invest in the insulation and other home energy saving measures. By combining some jobs together, the cost and any disruption can be minimised.

If you are renting your property, encourage your landlord to consider installing insulation and other energy saving measures. If you’re living in a flat, you might consider grouping together with other residents to encourage your freeholder to install insulation and/or provide funding towards it.

Find out if you can get access to a thermal imaging camera and use it. This is fun and informative, and will be able to highlight areas that need attention, both for draught proofing and for insulation (see below). Check whether there are any community initiatives that could provide access to a camera, or phone attachments are available that can do a reasonable job.

Everyone has a different perception of comfort so turning down the thermostat will mean different things for different people. Have a discussion with your household about this, and compromise where necessary. Your preference may be affected by your age and level of activity and how draughty your home is. Choose to wear warmer clothes indoors during winter, which should enable you to set your thermostat lower and use less heating. NHS recommends that the internal temperature is at least 18°C if you’re not very mobile, are 65 or over, or have a health condition, but those not in this category could go lower if they wish. Aim for the lowest temperature at which you are still comfortable, but do be aware that at lower temperatures the relative humidity will increase.

Choose to limit window opening during winter to short times when necessary (e.g. after showering or when cooking), but do ensure your home gets reasonable ventilation to remove humidity and odours.

Control your heating, ideally by using a programmer, so that it is only on when you need it. Energy Saving Trust suggests you can save £70 (at 2021 prices) and 0.3 Tonnes of CO₂ each year by installing and correctly using a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves. See the Get low carbon heating EcoTracker Top Action for further information on installing heating controls. Choosing to get into the habit of turning your heating off when there is no-one in your home for an extended period will save a lot of wasted energy. Most people will not need to keep the heating on overnight; consider getting a warmer duvet if you feel that you need to. Note that for some low carbon heating systems you may need to keep the heating on for longer periods than you are used to with gas boilers so that they can work efficiently and effectively.

Reduce your hot water usage by choosing to have showers rather than baths, and minimising your shower time. By reducing your shower time as far as you can whilst being comfortable and getting the job done, you can save both water and also the energy needed to heat the water. Consider turning the shower off while you apply shampoo or shower gel. Waterwise suggest using a shower timer or playing a short song so you can keep to the optimum shower time of 4 minutes. Also, if you usually have a very hot shower, consider whether you could reduce its temperature. For some people, a bath or longer shower is more than just a time for washing and may be an important part of mentally preparing for the day or de-stressing; if your bath or longer shower is particularly important to you it is even more important that you complete other actions such as the Get low carbon heating EcoTracker Top Action, fitting a low flow shower head and fitting other water saving measures (see below Expert tips – installing equipment that saves water and energy). 

A small but effective tip for saving hot water is to only use the hot tap when it is really needed and also effective. Quite often out of habit we might use the hot tap to wash our hands, but by the time it has heated up we have finished; by simply using the cold tap, we get essentially the same experience but don’t waste hot water.

If you use less hot water, make sure you also check and consider updating your hot water control setting. You may be able to reduce the amount of hot water generated by reducing the length of time it is set to come on; this may take some trial and error.

Behaviours that save water and energy include:

• Make sure you fully turn taps off when not in use and fix leaks.
• If you have a dual flush toilet, use the small flush unless the larger flush is needed.
• Use a washing up bowl when washing up and capture the water for later use (e.g. in the garden) as you wait for the hot tap to warm up.
• Only fill your kettle or cooking pots and pans with the amount of water you need.
• When cooking using pots and pans, use lids and you can turn down the hob heat.
• If you have a dishwasher, fully load it and use an eco mode to save water compared to washing up by hand.
• Run your washing machine with full loads and limit the temperature to 30°C for most washes. Also consider whether you actually need to wash all of your clothes as regularly as you do and wash them less where possible. Airing clothes can be effective at freshening them up.
• Don’t water your lawn.
• Use mulch or bark on the soil around your plants to retain soil moisture so the plants require less watering.
• When buying plants for your garden, consider drought tolerant species, whilst also considering the aims of the Rewilding Top Action.
• See further guidance and tips from Energy Saving Trust and Waterwise.

Energy saving behaviours include turning electrical devices and lights off when not in use. It is easiest to do so at the time e.g. when you stop using the device or leave a room. Standby modes still use electricity to keep devices running at low levels. Many people have multiple devices always on standby which add up to a big opportunity for saving electricity and reducing your environmental impact and energy bill. Where you have devices clustered together such as connected to a TV, consider getting a multi-socket system with a single switch that allows you to easily turn everything off at once. It is recommended that you try to adopt other energy saving behaviours including:

• Don’t turn on more lights in a room than you need.
• Dry your clothes outside on a line rather than using a tumble dryer
• Use the microwave rather than the oven if you can.
• Cook larger batches, such as by cooking for all of the household at once and / or making multiple meals that can be quickly reheated in the microwave another day.
• Try turning off your oven or hob a minute or two before your food is fully cooked as these take a while to cool. This will be particularly effective with ovens and electric hobs.
• Let your food cool first before putting it in the fridge or freezer.
• Defrost your fridge and freezer when needed.
• See further guidance and tips from Energy Saving Trust.

The items above are all about developing energy efficient habits. You may need to focus on and persist with these for weeks or months before they become new habits that you don’t need to think about. Don’t blame yourself for your past habits, but choose to focus on what you can improve. Similarly, choose not to blame others in your household or elsewhere for their current or past habits, but to point out to them the damaging impact of energy wasting and encourage and support them to make changes (e.g. by using EcoTracker). It can be easier to change our habits during a moment of larger change such as when you move home; when you are going through such a period, it is a great time to reset and work on building energy efficiency habits. See the Approach page for further suggestions on developing habits.

If you struggle with some of these behaviours there may be smart solutions you can find e.g. to get a single switch installed at home that turns off all of your sockets and lights or a shower timer.

Draught proofing is a simple and cheap DIY job, which most people will be able to complete themselves although professionals also offer this service. It reduces air leakage from gaps and cracks in the home and so reduces heat loss. Solutions for different issues include draught excluders or brush strips under doors; flexible sealant to fill gaps; foam strips around doors, windows and loft hatches; and specialist products e.g. draught proof letterboxes and cat-flaps or chimney balloons for unused chimneys. By doing it yourself, you can save money and improve your financial payback, although this is not for everyone. The first step is to identify thermal weaknesses and plan to address these. Some of issues will be quite obvious e.g. or poorly sealed window or door or gaps where pipes or wires pass through your wall or ceiling. See if you can get access to a thermal imaging camera and use it (see above in the introduction). This is fun and informative, and will be able to highlight areas that need attention, both for draught proofing and for insulation (see below).

LED lights are many times more efficient than incandescent or halogen lighting and so very quick to pay back environmentally and financially, with Energy Saving Trust reporting energy bill savings of £2-£7 per year per bulb (at 2021 prices) from making the switch. Incandescent or halogen lighting should be replaced as soon as possible rather than waiting until the bulb fails. Also consider replacing fluorescent lighting, which are likely to be 2-3 times less efficient than the best LED lighting. Always buy LED bulbs when you need to replace a bulb.

If you are renting your property, encourage your landlord to consider installing these low cost measures, or if they decline you could offer to pay for them and you are likely to get your money back very quickly through savings on your energy bill.

First decide on what needs to be done and the order of priority – see below for the opportunities and constraints for each type of home insulation.

See if you can get access to use a thermal imaging camera and use it (see above in the introduction). This is fun and informative, and will be able to highlight areas that need attention, both for insulation and for draught proofing (see above).

Start by finding some reputable installers and doing some research. In the UK look for Trustmark Registered installers via Simple Energy Advice, and read the guidance from the Energy Saving Trust to inform yourself with further details. Also find out if you have a bulk purchase scheme in your area, which organises bulk purchase and installation of insulation for a discounted price.

You’ll need to ensure that you have sufficient money available to invest in the insulation. Energy Saving Trust suggests that typical costs (at 2021 prices), which vary depending on the size and construction of the homes, are around:

• Loft insulation (to 270mm of mineral wool) – £285- £395
• Cavity wall insulation – £345 – £610
• External insulation (solid wall) – £10,000
• Internal insulation (solid wall) – £8,200
• Double glazing – £4,250 (triple glazing is more expensive but thermally and acoustically better)
• Floor insulation – £520 – £1,300

Energy Saving Trust also provides an indication of the running cost savings that you can make, which varies between homes.

If you don’t currently have the money available consider whether there are any grants available, some of which may be funded through your local authority. Also consider whether you could get cheap finance, e.g. by remortgaging your home. If so, do make sure the heating bill savings would cover the ongoing cost of repaying your loan, or where relevant you might decide you are happy with the idea of paying a bit more for a more efficient home. Alternatively, if you’re struggling to find the money, you could focus on other EcoTracker Top Actions which save money and make savings over some years until you can afford to get insulation or other energy saving measures installed – you can find these on the Actions page by filtering the Top Actions accordingly.

It is typically more cost effective to combine jobs at the same time, but if you don’t have the money available for this do consider doing the work room by room or element by element. Getting as much done as possible within your constraints is likely to be better for the environment than waiting for the perfect opportunity to do everything at once (which may never happen).

If you are very keen and ambitious consider targeting the Passivhaus EnerPHit standard, which is the ‘gold standard’ for low energy home retrofit.

Decide which types of insulation or energy saving measures you would ideally like before discussing this with installers, or ask for their suggestions. Loft insulation is typically the simplest type of insulation to install and is relatively DIY friendly so you may wish to install loft insulation yourself.

Contact a number of installers, some of which will specialise in one kind of insulation installation, discuss your requirements and get quotes from the installers. They may need to visit your home to assess what is required. Then decide what is right for you. Check that the work will be guaranteed for 25 years by CIGA, or a similar insurance-backed guarantee.

When insulating your home, flexible insulation products are recommended where possible rather than rigid foam boards. Although foam boards may provide a higher level of insulation for the same thickness, it is challenging to get them to line up tightly, particularly in hard to reach areas where they might need to be cut to shape; a significant amount of heat can escape through any gaps. The plastic dust that is created by cutting rigid boards is also a potential environmental pollutant if it is not contained.

Mineral wool is a typical choice for many scenarios, cellulose is worth considering, and rigid foam boards may be necessary where space is a premium or in a floor construction. Natural insulation such as sheep wool or timber fibreboard are likely to be lower environmental impact to manufacture and are also worth considering and using where possible. Insulated plaster is another option, particularly for older buildings that are challenging to insulate.

Homes built in the UK in the last 20 or so years are likely to have a reasonable amount of insulation already, but do investigate and consider whether additional insulation would be beneficial as there may still be much scope for improvement. If you have an older home it is much less likely that there will be sufficient insulation in place.

It is essential that any problems with damp to the elements in your home should be resolved before you insulate them; insulation typically blocks the flow of water and the ability of air to dry damp areas, while the water can reduce the performance of insulation.

Get an idea of how much insulation you will need to add to your home walls, roof and floor to achieve a high performance standard. The heat loss rate of elements is represented by the “U-value” of the construction; where possible performance of 0.15 W/m²K or less recommended to match a high performance new-build standard, which would require about 200mm – 250mm of mineral wool or 110mm – 140mm of rigid polyurethane (PUR) foam board. It may be possible to get down to U-values of 0.1 W/m²K or lower i.e. 1.5 x better, but there is a law of diminishing returns with insulation around this level in which each extra thickness of insulation added makes less difference to the heat loss. Such figures may be only achievable if you undertake a major refurbishment of your home. For walls, if you only have cavity wall insulation fitted, the U-value is likely to be much worse than 0.15 W/m²K due to the limited space available for insulation in the wall cavity. If you can’t add sufficient insulation to achieve U-values of 0.15 W/m²K due to constraints, add as much insulation as you can.

Loft insulation should typically be considered first as it has the best energy and financial payback when installed horizontally by laying insulation between and over the timber joists; this is especially true if you don’t already have any loft insulation, and it should be topped-up to at least 270mm. If you wish to retain storage space in the loft, use loft legs and plywood boarding to create a raised deck above the insulation for storage space. Lofts need to be suitably ventilated to preserve the timber construction and this is commonly done at the eaves. Although it is ideal to create as much continuity between roof and wall insulation, make sure insulation does not block your roof ventilation; it is worth considering adding additional roof ventilation when adding insulation. Also make sure your loft hatch is insulated so that heat doesn’t escape through this common weak point. It is more expensive to insulate at the sloping rafters and this is not recommended except for relevant sloping areas if you are having a loft conversion to create additional living space. For any hard to reach areas, consider getting a professional to install blown insulation. If you have a flat roof it is best to insulate this from above and fit a new weatherproof layer above this, but insulation can also be added to the ceiling below.

Cavity Wall insulation is generally suitable if you have a wall cavity, although may not be advisable in areas that experience a lot of driving rain, and may not be available to those in older properties e.g. pre-1920s. Use the guidance from Energy Saving Trust to identify whether you have a cavity wall. Cavity wall insulation is usually added by injecting insulation through holes made between bricks – if you move into a new home and are not sure if you have cavity wall insulation you may be able to spot where regular holes were made and filled with new mortar. 

If you have solid walls you will need to use external or internal wall insulation, although even if you have cavity wall insulation, it is also worth considering whether to install external wall insulation to bring your heat loss right down. External wall insulation can wrap your home and also eliminate many of the thermal bridges that are challenging to avoid in older homes. It also gives your home a fresh new external finish that is typically done with render. Internal wall insulation is much more disruptive as it involves sacrificing a small amount of internal space to fit rigid insulation boards or a timber stud wall filled with insulation and then redecorating with a new finish, but it may be the only option available in some situations e.g. where a home has heritage value. It may be best to do this when you are planning to redecorate anyway, for instance when you are fitting a new kitchen.

When installing insulation, membranes or vapour barriers are often beneficial to reduce air movement and control moisture movement; these may be necessary, as the added insulation can change the moisture balance within the building elements and cause long-term damage, particularly for older properties with solid walls which were designed to permit moisture movement. Either the insulation selected will need to permit moisture movement or a vapour barrier will be needed to ensure moisture cannot enter the wall from the inside; the advice of a suitably experienced professional should be followed.

Whether or not you have wall insulation, adding radiator foil behind radiators on external walls will reflect more heat into the room and allow less to escape through the wall. This is cheap and easy to install yourself. When redecorating – and particularly for areas that are challenging to insulate – consider using thermal wallpaper; this will provide some benefit, although the benefit would be insignificant compared to cavity, external or internal wall insulation which has far thicker insulation layers.

If you only have single glazing it is essential to replace this with double or even better triple glazing. The seals of older double glazing will gradually degrade; check with installers where this may also need replacing. It is recommended that you go for solar glazing with low emissivity (low-e) and a relatively low g-value (<0.5), so that you minimise the risk of summer overheating (see the Get low carbon heating EcoTracker Top Action for other passive cooling measures). Ask your installer about the “U-value” of the glazing unit (including for the glass and frame), which represents the heat loss; performance of 1.2W/m²K or less is recommended, with the best coming in around 0.8W/m²K i.e. 1.5 x better. In the UK, the BFRC runs an energy rating scheme, with A++ being best rated for thermal performance. As well as significantly reducing your home heat loss, replacing your glazing, particularly with triple glazing, will also reduce the noise that you hear from outside. Hardwood timber glazing is more expensive that typical U-PVC plastic glazing, but sustainably sourced timber is a recommended material; it has a lower environmental cost of manufacture than other options and when timber is used as a building material it stores the CO₂ taken in when the tree was growing. Composite options are available. If your home has heritage value (e.g. is a listed building) you may need to obtain consent to change your windows, and secondary glazing (an extra layer added internally) is an option to consider. The use of heavy thermal curtains, closed overnight, will also help, particularly for less insulated and more draughty properties. Ensure that your curtains do not cover your radiators and shorten them if they do.

If you have a conservatory, it is highly recommended that you choose to install a high performance glazed door between the conservatory and your main home, as the windows that make up a conservatory will naturally lose much more heat during winter than the walls of your home, making it much colder, and the conservatory is likely to overheat during sunny days during summer. Having the glazed door as an effective thermal barrier will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. However, during sunny cool periods in the spring and autumn your conservatory can capture much heat from the sun and reduce the amount of heating you need in the house, so it is well worth opening the glazed door during such times. It is not recommended to heat conservatories.

Floor insulation can be challenging to install if not already installed under the floor structure. Rigid insulation board and a suitable deck can be laid on top of any existing floor, but this will mean that doors have to be undercut and kitchen cupboards and work surfaces may need to be raised to accommodate white goods. If this is not feasible, putting down a thick carpet or wood rather than tiled flooring, with an insulating underlay such as timber fibreboard, can help stabilise the room temperature and take the chill away from your feet; this can make you feel much warmer whilst saving some energy and may even enable you to turn down the thermostat. If you have a cellar, you may be able to insulate the underside of its ceiling. If you have a timber ground floor, the floor boards can be raised and insulation and draught proofing added, which is highly recommended. There are also innovative options such as Q-Bot emerging that claim to be able to install insulation under timber ground floors with far less disruption. You should also insulate the floors of any heated spaces that are above unheated spaces such as garages; insulation could be added to the garage ceiling. For a natural rigid insulation board option, consider timber fibreboard, although this is not as thermally effective as rigid foam boards such as polyurethane (PUR).

When adding insulation, do consider the junctions between the elements and seek to maintain continuity of insulation wherever possible, including in more challenging locations such as around window reveals, between the main wall insulation and the glazing. Consider any elements that can be improved, including the party wall.

For similar reasons, it is essential to maintain and ideally improve internal ventilation to your home, so that excessive internal moisture build up is avoided. Air bricks, wall vents and trickle vents should be left as they are, unless you are installing an alternative ventilation strategy and an appropriate professional advises you can block these up. When considering ventilation, make the most of passive opportunities such as opening windows as outlined in the Get low carbon heating Top Action but do not do this excessively during winter. Ensure that your home can be securely ventilated during the day or at night, ideally to create a cross flow between windows on opposite sides of the property. If you are undertaking a large scale renovation consider centralised Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), which is likely to be disruptive to install, requiring space for a central unit within the heated area of the home, and some ducts around the home to accommodate, box in and decorate. MVHR is particularly effective for reducing heat loss and providing good consistent air quality in well-insulated and air tight homes, and it is necessary in the most air tight homes. This will be challenging to accommodate and less effective in many homes, which may benefit from other kinds of mechanical ventilation, such as extract fans to wet rooms or other localised heat recovery ventilation approaches.

When your home insulation is installed, sit back and relax, and enjoy your reduced bills!

White goods such as fridges, freezers, washing machines, and dishwashers use a lot of energy and getting energy efficient products can significantly reduce the energy used, environmental impact and running costs. Check the energy label and choose to buy the most efficient products of the type and size your need where you are replacing your white goods. In the UK read about the current A to G rating system at Label 2020, although your old appliance may have been assessed against the EU energy labelling scheme system from A+++ to G which still operates across the rest of the EU. The ratings are relative to size, so a smaller unit with a lower rating may actually use less energy than a large unit with a higher rating; avoid buying a bigger unit than you need simply because it has a higher rating. For washing machines and dishwashers also check that they are water efficient; relevant figures are available on the energy label.

Consider the size, energy efficiency and energy source of cooking facilities such as ovens, hobs and microwaves, and choose options that have a low carbon energy source, are energy efficient and are appropriately sized for your needs.

In the UK, electric cooking facilities can be considered low carbon; there will be some CO₂ emissions due to the use of grid electricity but no pollution or emissions are produced directly by electrically powered equipment and the CO₂ emissions will reduce as the national grid decarbonises (as more renewable energy generation is added to it). Consider electric induction hobs and pans. Sustainably sourced biomass is also low carbon but bear in mind it produces air pollution, so it may not be appropriate, particularly in urban areas. Avoid fossil fuel-based cooking facilities, particularly those fuelled by coal or charcoal but also those fuelled by gas. This does not necessarily mean never having a barbeque again, but do consider reducing how often you do this and using the lowest carbon fuel available. Elsewhere in the world, the best low carbon cooking energy sources may vary.

Choose cooking facilities that are energy efficient, by comparing models, if product labelling is available. Also choose options that are not overly large for what you need but offer the range of flexibility that you need. For instance avoid getting a large oven if you will only ever use a single thin shelf to heat food. The full volume of air in the oven needs to be heated each time you use it and it will take more energy to heat the extra air in a larger oven. Therefore, a smaller oven may meet your needs whilst saving energy. If you need flexibility, choose cooking facilities which offer flexibility. For instance, choose a two part oven, with one large and one small oven compartment, or choose a range of hobs which include a small hob.

Choose to get a microwave and use it when appropriate; using a microwave is typically much more energy efficient than cooking with an oven.

Also consider the energy efficiency of your electronic equipment, such as TVs and computers, and choose efficient products using the energy labels. Modern LED TVs are relatively efficient compared to older TVs including cathode ray tube and plasma models. Larger TVs consume much more energy than smaller TVs, so go for the smallest one that you are happy with. Laptops are typically much more energy efficient than desktop computers.

Also, consider the high environmental cost of manufacture of new white goods and electric equipment, so you should not keep regularly upgrading these as more efficient units come out. If you have equipment from the last 5-10 years, it should not be necessary to upgrade them for a new model unless they break, however, older models are likely to be significantly less energy efficient as there has been much progress made with energy efficiency in the last decade.

If you have old white goods or electronic equipment you don’t need, consider selling them via a car boot sale or eBay or Gumtree , donate them to a charity shop, or give them away via Freecycle. See the Buy fewer products (re-use and repair) EcoTracker Top Action. Someone else may be able to use your old equipment and they may not need to buy a new product as a result. If you have already tried the alternative options, dispose of them responsibly at your local waste facility or your council may be able to pick them up for you.

When your energy efficient equipment is installed, sit back and relax, and enjoy your reduced bills!

Typically, the most impactful water (and energy) saving equipment you can install is dual flush toilets and low flow shower heads. If you currently have a single flush toilet, you may be able to get a specialist retrofit dual flush siphon fitted which should cost much less than a new toilet. If the flush is larger than you need, also consider a cistern displacement device which will stop your cistern from filling up to the full level.

Other water saving equipment should be considered including low flow taps.

It is also critical to fix any leaks e.g. to taps and also to toilets. Your water company may be able to assist with this.

By fitting aerating shower heads and taps, air is added to the water which disperses into smaller droplets, which reduces the amount of water used to achieve a similar feeling of water flow. You may be able to fit flow restrictors and aerators to your existing taps rather than replacing the whole unit.

Water butts are an effective way of reducing the need to use tap water for outside water uses, such as watering the garden and washing the car. Much energy is used for treating and transporting tap water, and by storing rainwater run-off from the roof for use, you avoid needing to use tap water for purposes that don’t need it. You will be able to water the garden guilt free during dry periods. If you have a water meter, this can also save you a lot of money.

Fitting dual flush WCs or retrofit dual flush siphons, and potentially fitting a low flow tap is likely to need a professional installer, but installing all the other equipment should be a relatively simple DIY job.

For those who really want to do everything they can and who have the money available, there are further advanced energy and water efficiency technologies to consider including Waste Water Heat Recovery and rainwater recycling. Waste Water Heat Recovery recycles heat from the water that goes down the shower to pre-heat the heat supply, while rainwater recycling collects the water from the showers and taps for re-use, typically in flushing toilets. The water and heat recovered reduces the total amount of heat and water required.

When your water and energy saving equipment is installed, sit back and relax, and enjoy your reduced bills!

Energy Saving Trust: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at-home/ and https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/ and https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/saving-water-at-home/ and https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at-home/buying-energy-efficient-products/

Passivhaus EnerPHit (ambitious whole house retrofit standard): https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/what_is_passivhaus.php  

Waterwise: https://www.waterwise.org.uk/save-water/

NHS (internal temperature and health): https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/keep-warm-keep-well/

Telegraph featuring the Energy Saving Trust (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0pybMoCnhU

B & Q (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhWLZgEHNKg

Simple Energy Advice: https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/

Q-bot (insulation for timber ground floor): https://q-bot.co/

Label 2020: https://energylabel.org.uk/the-new-label/

EU energy labelling scheme: https://ec.europa.eu/info/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/energy-label-and-ecodesign/energy-efficient-products_en