🌱 Making our homes as efficient as possible is increasingly important

Help your home work better, with less wasted energy

A more efficient home does not have to mean a major project. It can start with small changes that help rooms feel warmer, reduce wasted energy and make everyday life a little easier.

Across North Yorkshire, many homes are older, rural or exposed to changing weather. Making them work better can help protect the landscapes, villages, farms, market towns and coastlines that make this place special.

Energy Saving Trust breakdown

Did you know?

£350 a year

can be saved by the average UK household just by adopting quick, low-cost energy-saving habits.

Around £45 a year

is wasted simply by leaving your appliances on standby instead of turning them off at the plug.

Lighting accounts for around 11%

of the average household’s electricity consumption, making LEDs a massive money-saver.

Roughly 10%

can be shaved off your annual heating bill just by turning your thermostat down by 1°C.

Keep the warmth where you need it

Our best opportunity to make our homes more efficient and save money is by keeping that precious (and expensive) heat inside!

Start by doing what’s called draughtproofing – making sure all our connections to the outside (such as windows and doors) are fully insulated to prevent heat escaping.

Next, make sure you have enough loft insulation (at least 270mm thickness). Finally, try reflective panels behind external wall radiators and apply secondary glazing on windows.

Cost effective heating

Making the most of our heat is vital and by paying a little more attention to how we heat our homes we can make some great savings.

One of the easiest changes is to turn our thermostat down just a little – heating our homes to 19 or 20 degrees can save roughly 10% on yearly energy bills. We can also bleed our radiators every year, remove any obstructions, and keep a close eye on any radiator controls.

Simple ways to save energy

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Turn down that heating

Even by 1 or 2 degrees makes a huge difference.

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Stop those pesky draughts

Fit foam strips, brush strips, or draught excluders around your windows, doors, and letterboxes to lock the warmth in.

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Upgrade your lighting to LEDs

Replace your old bulbs with LEDs to use up to 80% less electricity while enjoying the exact same brightness.

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Be smart when you use your appliances

Only run your washing machine and dishwasher with full loads, and use eco-modes or off-peak hours where possible.

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Switch off standby

Make a habit of turning off TVs, games consoles, and microwaves at the wall to halt “phantom” energy drain.

Using our energy better.

By upgrading to LED lights, we can save up to 80% on energy use compared to non-LED lights.

Furthermore, by making sure we’re only using lights when we absolutely need to, we can be even more efficient. Another way to use our energy better is to maximise the efficiency of appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines by filling them fully and using them during off-peak energy periods (such as at night).

Finally, avoiding unnecessary appliances such as tumble dryers and line drying our clothes can save £50 a year in energy costs.

Home efficiency self-check Download Download

Start with one simple change

Start with one small change this week and build from there. Even simple improvements can make your home feel more comfortable while helping to reduce energy bills year-round.