Energy Usage Pack. find out how you could be saving even more...

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George Bond
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1 Energy Usage Pack find out how you could be saving even more...

2 Save Some Energy! In this pack you will find information about the different ways you can save energy within your home. It will explain about Energy Efficient appliances and how you can make sure you are making the right energy efficiency choices. It also includes a guide to household running costs and useful day-to-day tips on how to save more energy. If, as a result of reading the content of this book, you feel your home is not as energy efficient as you feel it should be, or you feel that your appliances are increasing the cost of your energy bills; we have enclosed an Energy Usage Record Sheet, found out the back of this book, which you can use to record your energy usage and evaluate the efficiency of the household appliances you use. If this record form indicates you are using more energy than you feel is normal, please return the completed form, with at least two weeks usage on, to Utilita and we will review your information. If your meter is not running correctly, you can at any time request your meter to be tested for accuracy. There is an initial charge of 100 to carry out this test, which will be refunded in full if the meter is found to be recording inaccurately. Your meter will also be replaced by the engineer while he is on site. Any Questions? If you have any more questions on how to save energy please call our friendly Customer Services Team on or [email protected] and we will be happy to help. Emma Couzens Senior Customer Services Manager

3 In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 15% of the electricity bill Household appliances with a heating element are the most expensive to use, kettles are a good example of such an appliance... Follow us on for offers, events and energy saving tips

4 Running Costs of Appliances Working out the running costs of your household appliances is useful if you think you are using a lot of energy which you cannot explain. A useful way to monitor your usage is to keep a meter reading record sheet which can be found at the back of this book. What is a Watt? A watt is what electrcity is measured in (it was invented by James Watt). One Watt is like 1 cm or 1 inch, it is simply a tiny bit of electricity. The rate at which you use electricity is measured in kilowatt hours (kwh). So, if you have a household appliance which uses a lot of kilowatts in one hour, that means it is using up electricity very quickly in order to run!

5 If you have an appliance that uses lots of Watts to run, like a microwave, the Kilowatts used per hour will be high and will cost you more money. Refer to your tariff sheet to work out how much = electricity each household appliance may be using. Appliance Typical rating kwh 1 unit = 1 kwh Cold Appliances Freezer Fridge/Freezer Refrigerator About 1 to 1.5 units a day About 1.5 units a day Less than 1 unit a day Heating & Hot Water Appliances Convector heater (2 kw) Fan heater (1kW) Infra-red heater (1kW) Oil filled radiator (500 W) Panel heater (1.5 kw) Electric heater (3 kw) Half an hour's warmth = 1 unit Half an hour's warmth = 1 unit 1 hour's warmth = 1unit 2 hour's warmth = 1unit 40 minute's warmth = 1unit 20 minute's warmth = 1 unit

6 Appliance Typical rating kwh 1 un it = 1 kwh Wet Appliances Dish washer - one full load Tumble dryer - full load of cottons Tumble dryer - full load of synthetics Washing machine - 60C Washing machine - synthetics 40C About 1.5 units About 3.5 units About 2 units About 1 unit Less than 1 unit Heating & Hot Water Appliances Convector heater (2 kw) Fan heater (1kW) Infra-red heater (1kW) Oil filled radiator (500 W) Panel heater (1.5 kw) Electric heater (3 kw) Half an hour's warmth = 1 unit Half an hour's warmth = 1 unit 1 hour's warmth = 1unit 2 hour's warmth = 1unit 40 minute's warmth = 1unit 20 minute's warmth = 1 unit Cooking Appliances Cooker & hob Kettle - 12 pints of boiling water Microwave (850W) 20 mins on full Toaster - 60 slices of toast Average about 1.5 units a day 1 unit Less than 0.5 unit About 1 unit Other Appliances Electric blanket hrs a night for a week Extractor fan 24hrs Hair dryer (500w) 12 ten minute sessions Iron 1 hr Less than 1 unit 1 to 2 units 1 unit 0.5 to 1 unit Information sourced from Energy Saving Trust. The Energy Advice Handbook by Julia Green, is readily available at bookshops, ISBN

7 What is an Energy Efficient Appliance? Most people think that it is easy to tell if their appliance is bad, simply because it is not performing up to standard. However that is not always the case, they may look to be working just fine, but if they are not energy efficient, they will quite literally be costing you the earth. An energy efficient washing machine will use a third less electricity for each wash cycle and could save you more money over its lifetime than the cost of the machine itself! Products that display an Energy Efficiency Recommended certification mark meet the specified requirement backed by the government. It is your guarantee that the product you are buying will save you energy, cost less to run and help save the environment. The logo can be found on light bulbs, light fittings, fridges, freezers, laundry washing appliances, gas boilers, heating controls, loft and cavity wall insulation and many more energy efficient appliances. By using energy efficiency appliances, you can save energy, money and the environment. The appliances are cheaper to run and can save you up to 35 a year. We forget that our fridges and freezers are left on all the time, and they tend to be one of the largest users of energy in our homes. So always ensure that you buy the most efficient appliance you can afford and this in return will use less energy and save you money in the long term.

8 Look out for the Energy Efficiency Ratings when you are choosing a new home, it'll let you know if your energy usage is likely to be high... It is also important to remember that not all new appliances are energy efficient; unfortunately only appliances marked with an Energy Efficiency Recommended logo are good. Always check the appliance carries this label before you buy. The Energy Efficiency Rating is a measure of the overall efficiency of a home - the higher the rating the more energy efficient the home is and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The Environmental Impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. The higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment.

9 So, how much might I be using in a year? Understanding how much energy different household appliances use will really help you see where savings can be made. Appliances with heating elements tend to be the most expensive to use, such as a kettle. The next most expensive would be an appliance with a motor and a heating element, e.g. a washing machine or dishwasher. If at all possible, switch off appliances not in use constantly in order to save money and be more efficient. Appliances left on standby are still using electricity even though you feel they are switched off. Below is typical standby usage and what it consumes and costs you to run: Appliance kwh per year 24hrs x 365 days 8,760 hrs per year per 6.6p per kwh Microwave Cook TV Mobile phone charger Cordless phone Answer machine Stereo Digital decoder Washing machine PC Printer PC speakers

10 A typical home loses 20% of its heat through draughty doors, windows and ventilation ducts... so block up those holes! Using a smart meter will save you more money than switching supplier alone...

11 Meter Reading Record Sheet Name:... Your Customer Reference Number:... Date Time Meter Difference Items used in last 24 hours

12 Date Time Meter Reading Difference Items used in last 24 hours Post your completed form to: Freepost RRBS-SYCZ-BSZA, Utilita Services Ltd, Secure House, Moorside Road, Winchester, SO23 7RX

Energy saving at home

Code of Practice on the efficient use of electricity Energy saving at home Energy saving information and advice from Power NI www.powerni.co.uk /savingenergy Energy saving Running costs Insulation Heating