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Help is available to make your home more energy efficient

You can now get help to save up to £300 every year on your energy bills

You can now get help to make your home more energy efficient, via the Home Energy Saving Programme.

Every household in the UK is eligible for at least 50 per cent off loft and cavity wall insulation. A range of other energy saving devices like low energy light bulbs, real time displays and energy saver plugs are also available. Taking up these measures could help you save up to £300 every year on your energy bills, and you can access them through energy suppliers.

Pensioners or those from low income households may also be eligible for free improvements to their homes, such as insulation, along with other support.

To find out more, contact the ACT ON CO2 advice line on 0800 512 012.

• Home Energy Saving Programme - more details

Take control of your heating

Turn down the thermostat by 1 degree and you could save 10 per cent on your heating bills

You can cut out a surprising amount of wasted energy with clever use of your central heating controls. These can include:

• thermostats for heating and hot water
• radiator valves with thermostats included
• electronic timers

Taking a few simple steps can pay financial and environmental dividends:

• using the timer makes sure the heating is only on when you need it
• when you move house, ask the landlord or the people moving out to show you how the controls work
• if you're having a new boiler or hot water cylinder put in, ask the installer to talk you through the controls - and ask for a follow-up visit
• try turning the thermostat down by just 1 degree Celsius - you could save as much as 10 per cent on heating bills

• Learn more about how heating controls work Opens new window

Choose an energy-efficient boiler

More than 80 per cent of home energy use is for heating and hot water, so getting a more energy efficient boiler can make a very big difference. Look out for the energy-saving recommended label when you're choosing a new boiler - it can only be used on the most energy efficient products, usually the top 20 per cent of those available.

• Find an energy-efficient boiler Opens new window

Insulate your walls and loft

Did you know the recommended thickness of loft insulation is 270 mm?

The best place to start is to check the insulation in your walls and roof - more than half the heat lost in a typical home escapes by one of these routes. Installing loft and cavity wall insulation will not only reduce the heat escaping, but could also reduce your fuel bills by up to £180 every year.

Cavity wall insulation

• installing cavity wall insulation can take just a couple of hours for a typical three-bedroom house, and can be done from the outside
• your building needs to have cavity walls - you can insulate solid walls too, but this is a bigger and more costly job to do

Loft insulation

• loft insulation is easy to install - you can even do it yourself
• even if you already have loft insulation, check its thickness. Adding another layer to bring it up to the recommended 270 mm will save both energy and money being wasted

• Get more information on cavity wall insulation Opens new window
• Find out more about loft insulation Opens new window

Other ways to keep the heat in

Walls and roofs are the biggest heat loss culprits, but you don't have to stop there:

• double glazing can cut heat loss through windows by half
• insulate your hot-water tank
• lag your pipes
• put draught-proofing strips round windows and doors - if you can feel cold air coming in, it means warm air is going out the same way
• if your home has a cellar space, under-floor insulation can help keep the warmth in

• Information on insulating and draught proofing your home Opens new window

Switch to renewable energy sources for your heating

Renewable energy can sometimes be an option for both heating and powering homes and can make a significant contribution to reducing climate change effects. Follow the links at the end of this section to find out more on the practicalities of using different renewable energy technologies. The commonest methods are these:

• solar power uses the sun's energy either to directly heat water (solar water heating) or to generate electricity (Photovoltaic or Solar PV)
• wind power can be used to generate electricity using turbines
• running water can also be used to generate electricity using a turbine
• biomass (plant products or animal waste) can be burnt to directly heat your home or to heat water - the most common fuel used is wood, although plant oils, sugar cane and other crops can also be used (if you live in a smoke control area, you can get advice about what fuels you can burn from your council)
• ground source heat pumps make use of heat stored in the ground to directly heat homes or water - water is pumped through pipes buried in the ground and heat is captured and transferred to radiators or to a hot water tank

• Generating your own power: renewable energy
• Information on smoke control areas Opens new window

The wider issue

Energy used in the home is responsible for more than a quarter of the UK's carbon emissions. Reducing the amount of energy you use for heating is one of the biggest things you can do to help reduce climate change.

• Check air quality in your area

More useful links

• Saving energy in your home
• Gas boiler regulations (home and community section)
• Help with heating your home (over 50s section)
• Winter Fuel Payment (money, tax and benefits section)