Energy saving at home - Code of Practice on the efficient use of electricity Energy saving - Power NI

Code of Practice on the efficient
use of electricity

Energy saving at home
Energy saving information and advice from Power NI

www.powerni.co.uk /savingenergy

                                                 Energy saving

                                                 Running costs

                                                 Insulation

                                                 Heating

                                                 Renewables

Let’s tackle energy costs together
Power NI knows that customers are keen to find out ways to save
money and energy in their homes because of rising energy costs
and also to be more environmentally friendly.

This handy guide will help you to think about where you use
energy at home and suggest ways to help you save.

Our team of energy experts has also created a portfolio of
products and services that are designed to help you save money at
home. You can find out more on our website:
www.powerni.co.uk/savingenergy
or contact us on our freephone number 0800 0321 894
Lines open Mon-Fri 9am-7pm.

Contents

Energy saving tips that cost nothing
Energy saving ideas that you can put into action in
your home.

Appliance running costs
Typical running costs of various household appliances.

Insulation
Low cost deals on home insulation that will keep you
snug and save money.

Heating
Great value boiler installation and check up services
from Power NI.

Renewable technologies
Why not try an alternative way to heat your home or
generate electricity?

Help available
Find out what help may be available through our
schemes.

Bills
Great ways to save more with our flexible payment
schemes.

Contacts
Useful telephone numbers.

Energy saving tips that
cost nothing

Start using these energy saving ideas around your home and you should see
a reduction in your energy bills. The more you apply, the more you’ll save.

3 Turn off games consoles/TVs/iPod docks when not in use – if they are on
  standby they still use energy.
3 Turn lights off when a room is empty.
3 Switch to energy saving light bulbs - they use around a quarter of the
  electricity and will last ten times longer than an ordinary bulb.
3 Don’t leave the fridge door open and try to avoid putting hot or warm food
  straight into the fridge, as this increases the energy required to keep the
  contents cold.
3 Defrost your freezer frequently and check the door seals. If possible, keep the
  freezer in a cool room or garage.
3 Use a lid on saucepans where possible, as the contents heat up faster and
  use less energy.
3 Turn the room thermostat down by 1 degree – it could save you around £30 a
   year on heating costs.
3 Make sure radiators are not obstructed by sofas or other furniture.
3 Draw curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping from your home.
3 When using a washing machine, use a low temperature setting and only wash
  full loads where possible - one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
3 In summer, dry your clothes outside rather than using a tumble dryer.
3 When drying your clothes indoors use a clothes rail, not a radiator. Using a
  radiator blocks heat from the room.
3 Overfilling your kettle costs money - only boil the water you need.
3 When buying electrical appliances, choose the most energy efficient
 (A rated), rather than the least energy efficient (G rated).
3 A standard shower uses around 40% of the water needed for a bath.
3 Unplug phone chargers/laptop chargers once the appliance is fully charged.

Take a look at the electricity usage in a typical household

           Lights                                          10%
           Cooker                                3%
                                                                       23%
           Fridge & freezer                 3%

                                        4%
           Kettle
           TV                          6%

           Washing machine                                                   11%

           Microwave                     12%

           Tumble dryer
           Dishwasher                                 6%
                                                                 22%
           Others

Lights use more electricity than anything else in a typical household,
so why not switch to energy saving light bulbs today?

To calculate the running cost of any light or appliance, you will first need to find
out the wattage.

- An energy saving light bulb, for example, is 20 watts.
- To convert this number to kilowatts (kW), you simply divide by 1000
  (20 watts ÷ 1000 = 0.02kW).
- Multiply this number by the time the appliance is running for (For 2 hours,
  multiply by 2 or for 15minutes, multiply by 0.25).
- 0.02 kW x 5 hours means you have used 0.1 kWh of energy.

Now you have calculated the amount of energy used, you can calculate how
much it will cost you.
- To do this, you multiply the energy used (0.1kWh) by the unit cost (each unit of
electricity costs approximately15p).
- 0.1kWh x 15p = 1.5p.

Appliance running costs

Generally, most of the electricity we use at home is to run lighting and a wide
range of appliances. This guide provides an indication of how much various
appliances cost to run. These costs depend on their function and efficiency.
Although different models will vary, this should provide you with a rough
guideline.

 GENERAL APPLIANCES        POWER RATING (watts)    COST TO RUN FOR ONE HOUR*
 Computer console          250                     3.8p
 Television                100 – 500               1.5p-7.5p
 Kettle                    2,500                   37.5p
 Toaster                   1,000                   15p
 Iron                      1,000                   15p
 Shower                    4000 – 7000             60p - £1.05
 Hair drier                2000                    30p
 Vacuum cleaner            350 – 1000              5.3p – 15p

 HEATING, COOKING
 3 bar electric fire       3000                    45p
 Immersion heater          3000                    45p
 Cooker – 1 ring           1400                    21p
 – Oven only               2150                    32p
 – Oven & rings            7750                    £1.16

 WHITE GOODS
 Washing machine           2500 – 3000             37.5p
 Refrigerator              100 – 150               1.5p-2.3p
 Freezer                   150                     2.3p
 Dish washer               2500                    37.5p
 Microwave                 600 – 800               9p – 12p
 Tumble drier              5000                    75p

 LIGHTING
 1 x 100 watt lightbulb    100                     1.5p
 1 x energy saving bulb    20                      0.3p
 Strip light               20 – 65                 0.3p – 1p

 *Costs are based on an approximate cost of 15p per unit.

Insulation

Cavity Wall Insulation

What can it do for my home?
3 Save up to £115 each year off your energy bills by installing
  cavity wall insulation*

What is it?
The walls of most homes have two layers of bricks, internal and external,
with a small air gap or cavity between them. Cavity wall insulation involves
filling this gap with insulation material.

Many different types of products are available for cavity wall insulation.
Power NI use silver bead, which is 20% more efficient than alternative,
white bead insulation.

Loft Insulation

What can loft insulation do for my home?
3 By installing loft insulation, you could save up to £150 each year off your
  heating bills*

What is it?
Loft insulation is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to improve
your home’s energy efficiency. It is a man-made material, which comes as a
rolled quilt, and is laid down between and over the joists on the floor of your
loft, so it is quick and easy to install.
*Source: Energy Saving Trust.

Don’t miss out on our latest insulation offers!
Visit our website www.powerni.co.uk/savingenergy
or call our experts today on 0800 0321 894

Heating

Did you know that we can service your oil or gas boiler or install a new,
efficient one for you? Using our fully approved local team will give you
complete peace of mind, as you will know that your central heating is
running safely and efficiently, and that your fuel bills are as low as possible.

New Boiler

With home heating making up about 60% of your annual energy bills, it
can really make sense to upgrade your boiler to a new, more efficient one.

Why get a new boiler?
3 A new boiler heats the water for your home and your radiators quickly
  and efficiently
3 Many homes use oil or gas boilers for their central heating, but if your
  boiler is over 15 years old, then it is probably due for an upgrade
3 Rather than worry about your boiler breaking down just when you really
  need it, enjoy complete peace of mind with a brand new boiler

 Did you know?
 Our engineers are fully approved Gas Safe / OFTEC
 registered, so they can fit your new boiler quickly, safely
 and with the minimum of fuss.

Boiler Servicing

A regularly serviced boiler is a happy, healthy boiler, so why not let
Power NI’s trusted team look after yours?

What can Power NI’s boiler service do for my home?
3 It will make your boiler operate more efficiently, which will help you save
  money on your energy bills
3 A full boiler service is only £49.50
3 Or get a full boiler service and carbon monoxide alarm fitted for
  only £74.50

                                  The Power NI boiler service includes:
                                  3 A full, thorough 15 point service check up
                                  3 A full service certificate on completion
                                  3 A repair service is also available if additional
                                    parts are required for your boiler

Need a boiler check up?
Visit our website www.powerni.co.uk/savingenergy
or call our experts today on 0800 0321 894

Renewables

Solar...here comes the sun
Why not start generating your own heat or electricity using solar panels
fitted to the roof of your home?

We offer two different types of solar panels – one which heats your
domestic water, called ‘solar water heating’; and the other which generates
electricity, called ‘solar photovoltaics’ or ‘PV’ for short.

Solar Water Heating

Solar water heating panels capture the natural radiation from the sun
to heat water, which is then stored in a hot water cylinder. Your fuel bills
will reduce because you will be relying less on traditional energy sources
for generating your hot water.

Solar PV

Solar PV systems use the sun’s energy
to generate electricity and this can
power your home’s lights and appliances.
By generating your own energy, you will
see a reduction in your electricity bill.
You can generate additional income by
selling any unused electricity back to
Power NI and you will also benefit from
government incentives.

Alternative ways to heat your home

 Air Source Heat Pumps

A heat pump extracts heat from
the air and turns it into a higher,
more useful temperature for your
home – a bit like a fridge in
reverse. Unlike gas or oil boilers,
heat pumps heat your home at a
lower temperature over a much
longer period and this means
that they are more efficient. The air source heat pumps which we install are
designed and manufactured by a local company, Dimplex Renewables.

 Wood Pellet Boilers

Wood pellet boilers are an environmentally friendly, safe and convenient way
of heating your home. They differ from traditional solid fuel boilers because
they are fully automatic and use clever controls to regulate the fuel being
used by the boiler.

 Power NI offers a first class, fully
 accredited service for renewable energy.
 Visit our website www.powerni.co.uk/savingenergy
 or call our experts today on 0800 0321 894

Help available

Home Energy Check
Power NI’s home energy check allows you to understand your home’s energy
efficiency performance, helping you reduce your energy consumption and save
money. All you need is a few minutes to fill in our online questionnaire. We can then
work out your home’s current energy efficiency rating and provide you with
personalised suggestions about how to reduce your energy bills.
Before you start your home energy check, you will need a few things:
3 Information about your home - this will help us to make sure that your
  report is tailored to your home.
3 5-10 minutes of your time - please take some time and answer the questions
  in full.
3 A valid email address - you will be sent a link to view your report by email.
Complete a home energy check at: www.powerni.co.uk/hec. If you don’t have
internet access, we can arrange to complete a home energy check by telephone on
0800 0321 894.

Customer Care Register
By joining our confidential customer care register you could benefit from the
services that we offer.

3 Password scheme – if you are worried about bogus callers, you can give us a
   password to use each time we call.
3 Carers contact service – if someone helps you manage your bills, we can post
   your bills directly to them. We can also contact them if we need to reach you
   at any time.
3 Braille bill – if you are blind we can send a copy of your bill and all other
   correspondence in Braille.
3 Talking bill – if you are blind or partially sighted, we can phone you with
  details of your bill. You will get the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
3 Large print bill – if you have a sight difficulty, we can send a copy of your bill
  and all other correspondence in large print.

Warm Homes Scheme

The Warm Homes Scheme is funded by the Department for Social
Development to make your home warmer, healthier and more energy
efficient.

There are two levels of help available

Warm Homes – Offers a range of insulation measures to households who
receive a qualifying benefit.

3 Cavity wall insulation
3 Loft insulation
3 Hot water tank jacket
3 Benefit entitlement check
3 Energy sdvice

Warm Homes Plus – Offers insulation and heating measures to house-
holds in receipt of a qualifying benefit and who are identified through the
assessment process to have Economy 7 , solid fuel, bottled gas / LPG or no
system at all.

As well as the improvements available under Warm Homes, householders
who are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits may also be eligible for:

3 Installation of a fully controlled energy-efficient oil or gas central
  heating system where no system currently exist.
3 Conversion of an existing bottled gas (LPG), solid fuel or Economy 7
  heating system to oil or natural gas.

For more information and to fnd out if you qualify for either of these
schemes visit www.warm-homes.com or call 0800 988 0559

Giving you discounted electricity
Your Keypad guarantees you
discounted electricity
3 2.5% discount off the standard rate
3 Provides you with information to help you manage
  your usage and control your energy costs
3 Free installation and no rental fee

Buying top-ups
3 Online at www.powerni.co.uk
3 By telephone using our Customer Helpline 03457 455 455
  (anytime 24hrs a day)
3 At any Post Office or Paypoint
3 Free iPhone and Android Keypad App now available, so you can top
  up on the move
3 You can also top up at any Post Office or Paypoint outlet

Direct Debit – Discounted Electricity
3 Save up to £40 per year when you pay by monthly Direct Debit or up
  to £26 when you pay by quarterly Direct Debit

Monthly Direct Debit
3 Up to £40 discount a year, 4% discount
3 Spread the cost over the year
3 Pay an agreed amount every month

Quarterly Direct Debit
3 Up to £26 discount a year, 2.5% discount
3 Statement every 3 months
3 Full amount paid from your bank account by direct debit

Contacts:

Power NI Customer Helpline:         03457 455 455
Mon-Fri 8am-7pm
www.powerni.co.uk
email: home@powerni.co.uk

For energy saving advice:

Power NI’s energy saving offers*:   0800 0321 894
Bryson Energy:                      0800 1422 865
Warm Homes Scheme:                  0800 988 0559

Other useful numbers:

Age NI:                             0808 808 7575
Citizens Advice:                    028 9026 1970
Advice NI:                          028 9064 5919
Consumer Council:                   028 9067 2488
Disruption to electricity supply:   08457 643 643

*Freephone Mon-Fri 9am-7pm

Customer Helpline
03457 455 455 www. powerni.co.uk
Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm.
Calls recorded for quality assurance.