With an average energy bill set to climb to 1406 in 2009 (from 676 in 2005), the Government has given a commitment to help consumers improve household energy efficiency and permanently bring down energy bills.

As the nation waits for confirmation of where Government support will be given, many organisations are offering advice and guidance into where and how families can make changes that will cut their household energy costs.

Figures from the Energy Savings Trust suggest that if everyone undertook a number of simple measures including: Fitting energy saving light bulbs, double glazed windows, installing a condensing boiler, cavity wall and loft insulation and jackets for hot water tanks, UK households could reduce energy bills by over 270 a year and save over 1.9bn in fuel costs*.

Paul Kellett, Technical Director at Anglian Home Improvements, an Energy Savings Trust recommended supplier said: It is increasingly becoming apparent that current fuel price increases are set to have dramatic effects on many peoples household bills.

But making energy efficient changes, ahead of the winter months, could lead to savings of thousands of pound on future fuel bills – as well as adding to a houses value. If people are considering making improvements we would urge them to look at the most energy efficient options.

Installing double glazing for example, cuts heat lost through windows by half. At Anglian we fit B-rated energy saving double glazing as standard, which offers potential savings of over 110 per year per household.

Further estimations on savings to be gained from implementing energy efficiency measures in the home include*:
Around a third of all the heat lost in an un-insulated home is lost through the walls. Fitting cavity wall insulation could save up to 120 on an annual fuel bill
Insulating an uninsulated loft can save around 155 a year If everyone in the UK topped up their loft insulation to 270mm, around 560m would be saved each year. That’s enough money to pay the annual fuel bills of around 530,000 families.
An ultra efficient condensing boiler will be 20% more efficient and could save up to 130 on heating bills.
Fitting an insulating jacket to the hot water cylinder could save around 30 per year
Setting hot water cylinder thermostats to 60C/140F could save up to 10 over the year
Using low energy light bulbs to save 10 on electricity bills each year.
By installing draught proofing you could save around 25 a year on your heating bills

Financial help may be available if you’re planning to make energy saving improvements to your home

*Figures are from www.energysavingstrust.org.uk

Is double glazing really all that everyone thinks when it comes to ensuring that your home is protected from the elements? Also does it really work at keeping all the heat in your home?

We keep on hearing the term carbon neutral in the press and media but what is it that this term actually means? And how do we go about to become carbon neutral?

The term carbon neutral has really replaced the term carbon offset. It actually means to balance the overall amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere, by calculating how much carbon dioxide is being emitted from an activity and reducing the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide in another activity. Therefore, by installing double glazing into your home you are preventing carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere which is off setting the carbon dioxide that you are using in order to heat your home in the first place.

The windows in your home have a major impact on the energy efficiency of the house. Poorly designed windows make your home too hot or too cold. If designed correctly, theyll help maintain year-round comfort, reducing or eliminating the need for artificial heating and cooling.

Windows in a typical insulated home account for more heat gain or loss than any other element in the house. In summer heat gain through an un-shaded window can be 100 times greater than through the same area of insulated wall. One square meter of ordinary glass can let in as much heat as would be produced by a single bar radiator. In winter, heat lost through a window can be ten times more than through the same area of insulated wall. Ordinary single glazed windows offer little resistance to heat flow. Double glazed windows provide additional thermal resistance due the sealed space in between the two panes of glass. This makes the windows conduct less heat and therefore they keep more of the heat in the building rather than letting it seep out into the outside world.

Being carbon neutral is not a fashion thing it is something that everyone is going to have to accept if we are to keep the planet alive. Before the industrial revolution carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were consistently between 260 and 280 parts per million [ppm]. Since the industrial revolution human society has become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels and as a result human activities have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to more than 380ppm.

As our homes are responsible for a large proportion of the UK’s overall carbon dioxide emissions – having a direct impact on the acceleration of climate change – it is important to consider green and environmentally friendly features when look at improving your home.