Working hard all year round for South Bristol
Labour MP for Bristol South, Dawn Primarolo, is calling on residents to take a minute to save themselves money and energy this week. Dawn is backing the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Week, which is highlighting the need to conserve energy ahead of the winter months.
Commeting, Dawn said:
“Saving energy makes sense – not just for the planet, but for our pockets too. Research has shown that many people feel that they simply don’t have time to make changes that reduce their energy use. I’ve teamed up with the Energy Saving Trust to show that smaller changes can make a big difference. We all have busy lives, but we need to recognise that taking a moment to turn the thermostat down, or install some energy saving lightbulbs will help us all in the long-term.
With winter approaching, I know that people will be thinking about their heating bills, particularly with the globally high oil prices we are experiencing at the moment. The Government is doing its bit – with an increase in the Winter Fuel Allowance and support for home insulation – but there are measures which everyone can take to make their homes more energy efficient.”
Phillip Sellwood, Chef Executive of the Energy Saving Trust,
added:
“It's clear from our research that people in the UK and across
Europe want to be green if only they had time. Work and family
responsibilities just keep getting in the way.
"Energy Saving Week is the perfect opportunity to discover
your green/life balance – however much time you do or don’t have.
We’re urging people to take just 10 minutes to make time to change
their households’ habits to help fight climate change. It doesn’t
take long to get things started – there are lots of things you can
do in just 10 minutes."
The Energy Saving Trust recommends ten quick and simple ways that
people can start to save energy in their homes:
1) Turn the thermostat down by 1 degree. Reducing your room
temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10
percent. You could save around £50 per year.
2) Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through
the windows.
3) Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
4) Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave
appliances, such as mobile phones, on charge
unnecessarily.
5) If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer
or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
6) Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover
the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
7) A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week
wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking
taps and make sure they're fully turned off!
8) Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times
longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around
£40 over the lifetime of the bulb and only take a few minutes
to install. This saving could be up to £60 over its lifetime if
you’re replacing a very high wattage incandescent bulb, or
one used for more than a few hours a day.
9) Call the Act on CO2 Advice Line on 0800 512 012 for free,
local, impartial, individually tailored advice on measures
you can take to save energy. Advisers can also let
people know about grants and other help that may be available.
10) Visit the Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
for a wide variety of information on saving energy, including
Energy Saving Recommended products, insulation, generating
your own energy, greener transport and more.