Wandsworth Friends share energy ideas
'The UK has the worst-insulated housing stock in Europe with only fifty-eight per cent of Britain’s homes meeting the insulation standards of the 1970s.'
Wandsworth Quakers have issued guidance on reducing energy usage as the UK braces for soaring costs. The note, circulated around local Quakers, says that ‘with prices going up nine per cent a year at the moment… now is the time to look again at how we can save energy in our homes’.
The advice comes as the government is reported to be considering whether to launch a public campaign to reduce energy usage this winter.
Faced with soaring energy bills, which could top £3,000 by October, and the prospect of supply shortages caused by the invasion of Ukraine, industry watchers have called for government intervention. These include more financial support and official advice for consumers this winter.
Other experts have argued that any widespread campaign must focus on insulation. The UK has the worst-insulated housing stock in Europe with only fifty-eight per cent of Britain’s homes meeting the insulation standards of the 1970s.
Angela Terry, an environmental scientist and founder of the climate change action group One Home, said in The Guardian: ‘Telling people to fill their kettle properly might save them £20, but proper insulation will save thousands within months.’
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) called for ‘massive investment’ in ‘mass home insulation’ as well as wind and solar power to reduce energy demand earlier this year. The push came in response to ‘dismay’ at the British Energy Security Strategy published by the government on 7 April. The strategy included no new money for home energy efficiency, and, according to BYM, ‘sidelined’ onshore wind power.
As well as recommending insulation, the note from Wandsworth Quakers shares tips from Energy Saving Trust including: switching off standby on electrical appliances; draught-proofing gaps; turning off lights when not in the room and fitting low energy lightbulbs, in addition to washing at thirty degrees, using fewer machine loads and avoiding the tumble-dryer.
Linda Murgatroyd from Wandsworth Meeting told the Friend: ‘Of course some Friends know all this already, but a number of them said it was a really useful note.’
Other advice includes: turning down thermostats; having shorter showers and showering instead of having baths; not overfilling the kettle and planning oven use carefully; and only using a dishwasher when it’s full.
For Friends who may be changing boilers or hot water tanks, it also recommends considering alternative energy suppliers, as well as installing solar panels or heat pumps.
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