Information about home energy efficiency, grants for low income households, and more can be found on the South Hams District Council’s website:
Reducing Fuel Bills page and there is also a Support Directory
South Dartmoor Community Energy – Helping people save energy, money and carbon. Working towards a zero carbon future with sustainable and resilient communities.
https://www.sdce.org.uk/
Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service
The Fire Service does home safety visits. A home safety visit is a free service. The visit includes the provision of the safety devices needed. They are a good point of contact for vulnerable households.
https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/home-safety-visits
The Energy Saving Trust is a good source of information and have some quick tips for reducing energy usage
AgeUK produce a rather good booklet on staying warm this winter. There are a few hard copies in the entrance to the Village Hall as well as this online version.
Some energy saving tips for heating your home
- Lowering the heating temperature on a condensing boiler to 60ºC or below can cut a bill by around 8%. For a step by step guide see Moneysavingboilerchallenge.com
- Some combi boilers have a hot water preheat function – find it and turn it off.
- More combi boiler tips here: Heating-hub-web-version
- If you have a combi boiler and you need to mix cold water with your hot then save money by turning the temperature down.
- If you have a hot water tank then insulate pipework to it and reduce the hot water temperature to the lowest workable setting.
- Flow restrictors on taps, and a low-flow shower head can reduce hot water usage.
- Homes lose heat through air leakage – identify where cold air is getting in using the smoke from an incense stick, or just by feeling with your hand. Common culprits are around windows and doors, and open fires. You can buy draughtproofing seals at DIY stores, unused open fires can be closed off with a “chimney balloon” or a “chimney sheep”, heat shrink glazing film can be applied to windows, you could make an old-fashioned fabric “draught-dog” to reduce the draught at the bottom of doors.
- Turn the heating down (but not off) in unused rooms.
- Dress warmly – hat, scarf, jumper, extra leggings, warm feet.
- If you cannot afford to turn your heating on then you might be able to afford to warm yourself with an electric blanket. Consider using an electric blanket if sitting.
- Making one room really cosy can allow you to have the rest of the house colder.
- Turning down the main thermostat a degree or two can save a lot of money over a year.
- Thickening curtains or DIY insulated shutters can retain more heat. Use them strategically – leave shut to the North, and open to the South when the sun is out to warm your home.
Households with vulnerable people should take a cautious approach to these measures so as not to compromise health.
There are copies of these tips on the noticeboard in the entrance to the Village Hall, and in the Capton noticeboard. Let us know if they run out please.
You can also download these tips as a Google Document