Energy Advice and Support

With the cost of electricity and gas rising in April, we have put together some tips for energy saving to minimise the energy you use and reduce the carbon emissions contributing to climate change. We also list some sources of support if you are struggling to pay bills.

Tips for saving energy
  • Take shorter showers – an electric shower uses 3 to 4 times the power of a kettle!
  • Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle.
  • Turn off appliances when not in use.
  • Keep lids on pans when cooking to reduce heat loss and condensation.
  • Draft proof doors, letterbox and windows (don’t block air vents though). Make sure to ventilate your kitchen and bathroom when in use to reduce condensation.
  • Open curtains during the day as sunlight can help heat your home, and close curtains at dusk to retain heat.
  • Turn your heat down by one degree to reduce costs. However, if anyone in your household is elderly, unwell or you have small children, don’t go below 18°C.
  • If you have storage heaters, turn the output off overnight and when you are not using a room to conserve heat. See this guide to storage heaters from the Centre for Sustainable Energy.
  • If you need to heat a single room for a while, see this guide to the function and relative cost of portable electric heaters from the Centre for Sustainable Energy. However, used over a long period of time, room heaters are likely to cost more than heating.
Organisations providing energy advice

Across Sussex and nationally there are organisations offering free advice on saving energy and support for paying bills – please see the relevant webpages listed below:

 

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