Save your money and the environment

Wells folks in the know can save themselves a small fortune in heating bills this winter, not to mention reduce their carbon footprint by taking just a few measures to improve the efficiency of the family home this winter.

I must confess to reacting grumpily paying astronomical heating bills when I see my supplier spending my hard-earned sponsoring international sporting events. I feel properly motivated to do my bit to keep my heating bills as low as possible including ensuring sufficient insulation in the loft, to trying to remember to turn off all the electrical appliances around the house off when not in use instead of leaving them on standby. The standby function apparently only reduces the consumption by 20% compared to when the appliance is on, so is a huge waste of our resources.

Unlagged pipes and uninsulated lofts also account for about 25% of the heat you pay for floating off into space, the outlay for a competent tradesman  will pay for itself in a matter of months if you think about it?

Do you have your boiler serviced regularly? It’s quite incredible how many of them chug away happily all year producing hot water on demand and heating when required, but at the first sign of a cold snap will refuse to work for no clear reason to the untrained eye. I have mine checked annually by Steve Abbott  who does a very thorough job.

A reputable local builder will be able to put your energy efficiency methods into practice, can anyone recommend any of these local firms as having performed above expectations on your own building projects? 

If you have any heating efficiency tips to share or know of any unsung local tradesmen heroes, please share them with the rest of Wells, what other measures should we be taking to save a few pennies this year and keep our heat to ourselves?