Saving energy - a tenants guide

1. Save Energy Save Money

3. Meters
Where’s yours?
What does it look like?
How do you read it?
Why do you need to read it?

4. Where are your meters?
Meters are usually found:
 Under the stairs
 By the front door
 Outside
 In a cupboard

5. Electricity
Meters

6. Gas
Meters

7. Dial Meter
This meter shows a reading of 15040
•Ignore the top set of dials and read the dials left to right
•If the dial is between 2 numbers, note down the number that
the dial has just passed
•Include any zeros at the start and ignore any red dials

8. Digital Meter
This meter shows a reading of 62198
•Read the meter left to right and ignore the red numbers
•Gas meters show 4 or 5 digits
•Electricity meters show 5 digits
•Some electricity meters will show 2 lines of digits

9. Why read your meters?
 To get accurate bills instead of estimated bills
 If you get estimated bills you could be paying too
much or too little
 To double check your energy bills
 To keep an eye on your energy usage
 To know the approximate cost of your bills before
they arrive

10. Energy Providers
The best type of meter
Switching providers
Warm home discounts

11. Types of Meter
Pre Payment Standard
√Manage debt √Access to energy deals
√No unexpected bills √Constant supply of
√Keep an eye on energy electricity (if bills are paid!)
usage √Cheaper than pre payment
Most expensive way to pay meters
for energy Can get into debt
If you cant get to the shop No way of keeping track of
you can run out of gas /
energy use
electricity
Cant get the best deals for Possibility of large bills –
energy particularly in winter

12. Switching Providers
Which is best for you?

13. Use Price Comparison websites to find the
best deal for gas and electricity

14. Warm Home Discount
 The Warm Home Discount scheme came into operation
on 1 April 2011
 Under this scheme customers in receipt of some benefits
may be able to receive a £120 rebate into their
electricity account
 Each of the “big six” providers has slightly different
criteria to meet
 For some you can apply online, for others you need to
phone in, it depends on your provider

15. Warm Home Discount - Example
Southern Electric (Swalec)
To receive the £120 rebate you must be in receipt of Pension Credit
You may also be able to receive the rebate if:
You receive one of the following:
•Income Support
•Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
•Income-related Employment and Support Allowance which has a work-
related activity component or support component
And:
•You have a child under the age of 5
•You receive Child Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability component
•You receive a disabled child premium
•You receive a disability, enhanced disability or severe disability premium
•You receive a pension premium, higher pension premium or enhanced pension
premium

16. Insulation
Where the heat goes
Before and after
Making the most of your insulation
Thermostatic radiator valves and thermostats

17. Where the Heat Goes
25% through the roof
35% through walls
10 % through the windows
15% through draughts

18. After
Before

19. Make the Most of Your Insulation
 Turn off the central heating one hour before you go to bed
– the insulation means that your home will stay warm for a
while
 Turn down the central heating – turning down the heating
by 1oC could cut your bills by 10%
 Turn down the radiators in rooms that you don’t use often
 Close doors to the rooms that you don’t use often
 Shut the curtains when the sun goes down to help to keep
the heat in

20. Thermostats
Control the temperature of your central heating with
your thermostat
21oC is the best temperature for your central heating

21. Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV)
Use TRV’s to control the temperature of your radiators
Turn down the heat on radiators in rooms that you don’t use

22. Energy Saving Tips
Bulbs
Smart monitors
Tips

23. Energy Saving Bulbs
Each energy saving bulb that
you use can save you £3 per year
on your electricity bill
Energy saving bulbs can last 8
times longer than “normal”
bulbs and use 80% less electricity
Give energy saving bulbs a
try, they can save you
money!

24. Energy Monitors
Use the monitor to see how much electricity
you are using at any time of the day
The monitor can help you to break bad
habits by showing you exactly how much it
costs to leave things turned on.
Energy monitors can reduce your energy
usage by 5 – 10% each year
Take home an energy
monitor and keep an eye
on your energy use!

25. A dripping tap.....
Will waste enough water in 2 weeks to fill a bath

26. When making a cuppa try not
to over fill the kettle.......
Save energy and money by only
boiling the water that you need
If everyone boiled only the water that they needed, enough
electricity could be saved to light the UK’s street lights for 7
months!

27. Don’t leave things on standby.....
Turning appliances off at the
plug saves energy and money
If you don’t use them very often, or if your going away, make
sure that appliances are turned off at the plug so that they
don’t waste electricity.
Leaving electrical items on standby instead of turning them off can
cost you up to £40 a year

28. Quick Quiz
1. Which energy provider is funding the external
improvements?
2. How much would you expect to save if you adjust
your lifestyle and follow the energy saving advice?
3. Name 3 energy saving tips
4. Name a price comparison site
5. Name 2 locations for meters

29. Thank You
&
Good Luck Saving Energy!