Turning heating down 1°C ‘can cut bills by 10%’

FAMILIES can cut home energy bills by up to 10% by lowering their central heating temperature by 1°C, according to a new awareness campaign.

And household electricity costs can be cut by up to another 10% if standby modes on televisions, DVD players, stereos and computers are turned off.

The European Commission initiative says small changes by individuals in their daily routines can cut energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The changes will help meet the challenges posed by the increasing costs of fossil fuels and the dangers of climate change.

Weather presenters Nuala Carey of RTÉ, Lisa Burke of Sky and Daithí Ó Sé of TG4 helped launched the campaign in Dublin yesterday.

The You Control Climate Change campaign points out that households are responsible for some 16% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. It’s estimated that 70% of the energy used by households is spent on heating homes.

Martin Territt, director of the European Commission in Ireland, said: “Action against climate change is a priority for the European Commission.”

Environment Minister Dick Roche said the campaign was raising awareness among people about what they as individuals can do to combat climate change.

“This takes the focus away from what the State can do to what the individual can do,” said Mr Roche.

“They can turn down their thermostat by one degree and save on oil imports and they can stop using the standby mode on TVs and computers.”

He said the Government had made available €27 million in grants to households towards replacing fossil fuel heating systems with renewable energy sources, including geothermal, wood pellets and solar panels.

“By swapping you are saving on oil imports, you are using renewable sources, you are creating some employment here and you are producing lower emissions,” said Mr Roche.

See www.climatechange.eu.com for more information on the campaign and www.sei.ie for information about energy grants.

Tips: Small changes to cut your bill

Switch off lights when you don’t need them.

Use energy-saving light bulbs.

Don’t leave your mobile phone chargers plugged in.

Only use washing machines and dishwashers when full and turn temperature down.

Air dry clothes and limit use of tumble dryers.

Cover pots when cooking.

Install double-glazing.

Insulate water tanks and central heating pipes.

Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly or, better still, replace them with new ones.