“Double glazing cuts heat loss and reduces noise and condensation problems”

“We all want to live greener, better lives, but few of us plan on forsaking the comfort and aesthetics of our period homes, built decades before anyone worried about their effect on the planet, for a new zero-carbon property. So, what can you do to your semi, terrace or cottage to go green and save money?

That was the challenge British Gas put to 64 households last year, with the launch on these pages. Over the past 12 months, eight families on eight roads – all of them with “Green” in their address – have been trying every which way to reduce their energy consumption in a bid to be named the greenest street in the country.” (Cherry Maslen, Times Online, From the Sunday Times, 1st March 2009)

Find out how they got on. The article concludes by giving some examples of the sort of thing householders can do who are genuine about wanting to save money by saving energy and cutting costs.  

“In an uninsulated home, £1 in every £3 spent on heating is wasted. Installing loft insulation could save £110 a year on bills; cavity-wall insulation could save £90.

As a rule, the older your boiler, the more inefficient it will be. A new high-efficiency condensing boiler with heating controls (prices start at about £2,000) could save £200 a year on bills.

Turning down your heating thermostat by 1C can cut bills by 10%. Fit thermostats to radiators to control room temperatures. 

Turn off lights in rooms you’re not using – lighting accounts for up to 15% of domestic electricity bills.

Double glazing cuts heat loss and reduces noise and condensation problems. Expect savings of £90 a year on bills.”