No-cost, low-cost changes or improvements

"Thank you for your recommendations, the lovely chat, and your time. Genuinely appreciated and I'm already paying it forward with recommendations to friends".
Home owner in Aberfeldy
February 21 
Simple, quick changes to your home or behaviour to reduce your carbon footprint and/or energy bills advice to help you maximise what you have, such as:

Using your heating as efficiently as possible

• Help with programmers and timers
• Planning you heating routine 
• Setting and position of your thermostats

Changing your energy tariff or supplier

Current advice is to stay with your provider - if you have to change then check rates carefully - unusually fixed term rates may be higher than variable rates (which may be less well signposted)
• Review of tariffs 
• Using a cost checking site 
• Exploring other companies

Reducing electricity usage

• Turning standby switches off
• Only filling the kettle with as much water as you need
• Switching off lights when not in use
• Turning room thermostats down by 1 degree C
• Replacing light bulbs with LED (see our info on the Bulb Bank)
• Use thick curtains & close them before it gets dark
• Stopping draughts
• Putting in secondary double glazing
• Washing clothes on a lower temperature & when there’s a full load
• Drying clothes outside when possible
• Harnessing the sun’s warmth - solar gain / passive heating 

Reducing the likelihood of damp

• Put lids on pots when cooking (reduces condensation)
• Check behind cupboards etc for damp patches
• If drying clothes indoors try to keep them all in the same room with the door closed

Simple Behavioural Changes 

• Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need 
• Switch off the kettle at the wall (most kettles have a standby function which costs £4 a year when left switched on) 
• Switch off all appliances which have standby switches
• Use thick curtains (the Thrift Shop often has them, and we have a team of volunteers who can adjust them for you if necessary)
• Close curtains before its gets dark (ie before the temperature suddenly drops)
• Use LED light bulbs in the rooms you use the most
• Switch off lights when you're not using them
• Use a 'sausage dog' draught excluder or rolled up blanket under doors with draughts
• Stop other draughts (NOT intended ventilation such as trickle vents in windows or ventilation bricks - a house still needs to breathe to allow damp out)