Energy Saving Week Ideas

National Energy Savers Week, running from 19 January – 25 January, is a campaign by Citizens Advice with the Energy Saving Trust with the aim of helping people save energy (and money). #StayWarmSpendLess

Energy-saving tips and advice

Check your radiators – do they feel cool at the top and warmer at the bottom? To fix this, you can bleed the radiators yourself…

There are more how-to videos on the Energy Saving Trust website including how to check the temperature of your boiler flow -the temperature of the water coming from your boiler to your radiators. 

According the site, it is more efficient to set your heating to come on earlier in the day rather than increasing your thermostat temperature when your home feels cold. 

Portable electric heaters are a good option for heating your home in the short-term, they should not replace your heating system. 

To ensure your boiler is working efficiently, you may also want to book in a service with a Gas Safe engineer. 

Get a checklist A great place to start is to understand your energy bills and where you’re using the most energy. Try out the Low Carbon Hub’s winter warmer checklist.

For businesses – See the ‘opportunities for businesses’ pages on our websites in South Oxfordshire and Vale. These include green skills training eg installation of solar panels or heat pump or EV chargers. There are also workshops and webinars available to help with advice on how to decarbonise and lower your energy use.

Where to get help locally

The good news is that some simple fixes to your home can be provided free or at a low cost by community action groups such as Draughtbusters in Abingdon, Wallingford and Wantage. We have funded Wantage Draughtbusters to provide some start up kits for other Vale groups who would like to start a Draughtbusters.

For bigger changes there are grants available eg Warm Homes: local grant (administered by Oxfordshire County Council ), Government boiler upgrade scheme and the Great British insulation scheme.

Tenants, landlords and homeowners can contact Better Housing Better Health on 0800 1070044 for information about grants towards insulation, boilers and draught proofing. If you want to get started on your own green home improvements, the retrofit specialists at Cosy Homes Oxfordshire can help with their free plan builder advice tool.

Working with local community groups

Local community groups and town and parish councils can borrow a thermal camera from us at the council for free. It can be used to identify heat loss in residential and community buildings. The infrared thermal imaging equipment can show clearly where insulation could reduce energy waste and costs. Contact the Climate and Biodiversity team for more information. Email climateaction@southandvale.gov.uk.

Low Carbon Hub supports neighbourhoods to save energy and develop renewable energy projects.

For further information on what is available in your council area please click on the map of the district where you live and it will take you to the more detailed local web page.