The mental and physical health impacts of a cold home can be far-reaching and long-lasting - for example, it can increase the risk of respiratory conditions like asthma attacks or worsen chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - and with winter fast approaching it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when dealing with your home energy.
With that in mind, Kate Lewis - Severn Wye Energy Advocate for South Powys - gave us her top tips for reducing energy use to help you stay well and warm this winter.
1. Keep the heat in and the cold out
Heat you’ve generated - and paid for - will always try to find a way to escape, so insulation is one of the best ways of saving energy. Draft-proof your home wherever you can feel cold spots. Check that your loft is properly insulated. You might be eligible for insulation, heat pump and solar panel grants – sometimes even a new boiler - and we can point you in the right direction.
2. Programme your heating
Waking up to a warm house is the healthiest way to start your day, and programming your heating to suit your lifestyle works out cheaper in the long run. If you have a programmable thermostat, use it. If you’re not sure how to do this, you should be able to find manuals for most thermostats online, or ask an energy advisor to help.
3. Monitor your thermostat
You’ll know the right temperature for you depending on your needs but, in general, living areas should be kept at 21C with the rest of the house comfortable at 18C. At night when you’re in bed, the heating can be turned off. However, turning down your heating by just one degree could cut your heating bill by up to 10%. And avoid using plug in heaters - they're expensive to run.
4. Turn things off
Get into the habit of turning off appliances and lighting when not in use. Turn lights off when you leave the room or during the day. And don’t leave appliances like bathroom extractor fans on for long periods as they use a lot of energy.
5. Electric showers and kettles use huge amounts of energy
Use a mug to measure out what you need when you fill the kettle and aim to keep showers to four minutes or less. Try using an egg timer or showering to your favourite song that you know doesn’t last long – definitely not Bohemian Rhapsody – it lasts for at least 6 minutes!
6. Use low-energy lightbulbs
Replacing your lightbulbs with low-energy equivalents can make a huge difference to your energy bill. LEDs can use 90% less energy than standard lightbulbs.
7. Shrink your bills, not your clothes
Ninety percent of a washing machine’s energy is spent heating the water, so wash your clothes at 30–40°C instead. A longer but cooler wash is considerably cheaper than a shorter but hotter one - and this will help your clothes last longer.
8. Batch cook
Ovens use a lot of energy so plan ahead and batch cook to make the most of the energy you are paying for. Microwaves are more efficient for reheating leftovers than the oven. If you have an air fryer or slow-cooker, use them – they are so much cheaper than ovens.
9. Use the dishwasher if you have one
If you have one, use the dishwasher rather than washing up by hand - but always put in a full load. If you don’t have a dishwasher, use a washing up bowl and don’t keep the hot water tap running.
10. Get smart
Smart meters are offered free of charge by most energy companies. You can use them to watch what you are using in real time, helping you manage and control spending. Smart meters also stop estimated bills.
A team of three community-based Severn Wye Energy Advocates offer free confidential support for anyone living in Powys, including energy-saving advice and help with fuel debt and large energy bills. Additionally, they can help you understand your energy bill, talk to energy providers on your behalf and assist accessing grant funding for energy-saving improvements. They can also check you are receiving all the support you’re entitled to, for example, Winter Fuel payment, Pensioner Cost of Living payment, Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payment, and signpost you to making the connections you need to keep you Warm and Well now and in the future.
Powys Energy Advocates also hold regular drop-ins, work with local support services and attend community events. Check out the Severn Wye November Newsletter for all the latest information.
To arrange a one-to-one call with an Energy Advocate in your area, email advocate@severnwye.org.uk, visit severnwye.org.uk/powys, or contact your own local energy advocate via the above link.
Powys Advocacy support is funded by the Energy Redress Scheme until October 2024.
Severn Wye Energy Agency, a non-profit company and registered charity, operates throughout Wales and its English border counties supporting communities, residents and businesses to create a sustainable, affordable, low carbon future.
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