Clonmel Transition Town

Saving energy saves money and the environment, a win win for all.

The most energy used in a house or office is where heat is generated. Here are tips to reduce your energy bill by reducing the amount of heat used in the house/office and other tips:

1 The Dryer

The Dryer is a big consumer of electricity. Why not try an ODryer.

The ODRYER is an all weather outdoor dryer which allows your clothes to dry no matter what the weather. Check it out at ODryer.ie

2. The Kettle

Kitchen stuff:

• Microwave. Off: 0 W. On: 1150 W.
• Coffee machine. Off: 0 W. On: 884 W.
• Mini-oven. Off: 0 W. On: 800 W.
• Kettle. Off: 0 W. On: 2035 W.
• Toaster. Off: 0 W. On: 168 W.
• Fridge. Off: 0 W. On: 110 W.  – All typical values.

The kettle uses a lot of electricity heating water you may not use. Only fill the kettle up the the level of water you will actually use.

3.Change electricity supplier.

The market is becoming more competitive. Changing supplier will increase competition and help the pocket.

There are two on the market Board Gais and you can change there at thebigswitch.ie or my favorite as it is renewable energy.

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Airtricity a renewable electricity provider and cheaper than the ESB also. You can switch to airtricity online here.

4.The Appliance rating system

Under EU rules, all laundry, dishwashing, and refrigeration products on sale in shops in Ireland must display an energy label. This label shows how much energy the appliance will use for typical tasks, and is made up of about eight separate pieces of information…

1 Manufacturer/model

This shows the manufacturer’s name/brand and the specific model name/number.

2 Energy efficiency rating

The machine’s energy efficiency is rated from A to G, with A being the most energy efficient and G being the least. So the labels allow you to compare the energy consumption of different models.

The most efficient models – “A” or “B” may cost more to buy but will cost less to run than an “F” or “G” rated appliance.

3 Energy consumption

This is the machine’s actual energy consumption in kWh (kilowatt hours) and is the standard unit of electricity used on your electricity bill.

Actual consumption will depend on how you use the appliance, so the label gives some standard guidelines. For example:

• For a washing machine or dishwasher, it will apply for a standard cycle
• For a fridge or freezer, it could be measured in a 24-hour time scale

4-8 Performance

These next sections of the label will be specific to each appliance – for example:

• On a fridge or freezer, it might be the volume of food that can be stored, the star rating for frozen food compartments and the noise
• On a washing machine they might contain information on the spin speed, capacity, water consumption or noise

So the next time you are buying an appliance, take a look at the energy label and choose the most energy-efficient appliance that you can.

5. Roof and Attic Insulation

Up to 30% of heat loss in a house occurs through the attic. While installing good quality insulation may cost you, you will make a return on the investment within two or three years due to reduction in heat loss, which correspondingly reduces your energy bills.

There are different types of insulation that you can use in your roofing. Each type of insulation has a different insulation value or U-Value – the lower the U-Value, the better the insulating material. Typical insulation in an attic should be more than 20-30cm thick unless you are using more advanced thinner materials. Here are a few of the most common types of insulation that you can purchase at your local DIY store:

• Sheep’s wool – This type of insulation is made from sheep’s wool. Sheep’s wool is a very good insulator, but can be a more expensive than other insulating materials.
• Fibreglass – Fibreglass is made from molten glass spun into microfibers. It is probably the most commonly used form of roof insulation and can be purchased from most DIY stores.
• Rock Wool – Rock wool is made with molten rock instead of glass.
• Cellulose – made from shredded recycled paper. This is not as common but it is a great insulator.
• Eco insulation – this can be made of a range of recycled materials, such as plastic bottles or paper.
• Reflective foil thin insulation – this type of insulation is thinner than regular insulation, it has many layers of foil with fibrous material in between.

Ask at your local DIY store to see what depth of this material you should install, as the type and insulation values differ product by product.

It is important to remember that each of these insulation materials will have a different primary energy, that is, the energy that is used in production. Rock wool production for example is energy intensive, while sheep’s wool is less energy intensive. Other factors such as the distance the material travels from the supplier should also be taken into account to ensure the minimum amount of energy is expent. Each house is different and the final decision is up to the consumer. Check out the SEI website to see a list of Irish insulation suppliers. Also, more information on household insulation can be found in the SEI Detailed Guide to insulating your Home

Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), formerly the Irish Energy Centre was set up by the government in 2002 as Ireland’s national energy agency. Our mission is to promote and assist the development of sustainable energy. Lots on information on grants for energy savings.

6. Lighting

Household lighting consumes a large amount of electricity. Follow the Top Tips below to reduce your consumption of electricity through lighting

Tips – Lighting

• Rooms should be furnished to allow the maximum amount of daylight in
• Net curtains reduce the amount of daylight entering a room
• Lighter coloured paints reflect more light
• Keep windows clean
• Turn off lights in rooms that are not in use
• Having a number of independently switched lights in a room will allow you to control light use
• Choose the correct type of lighting:

Use energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs) rather than traditional incandescent lighting. In 2009, the government will introduce a ban on sale of traditional lightbulbs in favour of CFLs, so changing your habits now will prepare you for this. In addition there are often deals on low energy light bulbs at the moment so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Lighting Choices

Check the energy rating labels on light bulbs before purchasing. Like other household appliances, light bulbs are labelled A-G with A being the most energy efficient.

• Watch our for  lamp life, i.e. how long the lamp will last, which will give you an indication if your investment is likely to pay back over the lifetime use of the product. High voltage bulbs are generally not needed in bedrooms, so try to vary the voltage in bulbs according to your room function.
• CFL long life bulbs are more energy efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. They also last up to 10 times longer. Government legislation just recently passed will phase out  incandescent light bulbs so why not make the switch to CFLs now.

For more information and energy saving lighting tips visit www.powerofone.ie.

Other useful links.

Home Power Magazine the mission is to change the way people generate and use energy, one rooftop at a time.

The Owl is an electricity monitor to identify where the energy is being consumed in the house or office.

Please feel free to comment and suggest other useful links to be included here.

Note some text taken from change.ie