FAQs
Financial Help and Grants
Electrical Appliances
Saving Energy (and saving money) in the Home
Windows
Walls
Floors
Boilers
Financial Help and Grants [Back to TOP]
Are there any grants for repair work for older people?
If you live in the Western Isles and you are over 60 you are applicable for financial help from Care and Repair, Tighean Innse Gall.
Care and Repair (http://www.tigheaninnsegall.org/Default.aspPage=14.htm)
Are there any grants to help with the cost of replacing my boiler?
As from 9th November 2010, the Scottish Government announced a new Boiler Scrap page Scheme which will provide vouchers to landlords for £400 towards the replacement of the most inefficient G-rated boilers in rental properties.
The scheme operates on a first- come, first-served basis- so grab this opportunity if you would benefit from it.
Landlords can apply for the voucher by calling the Home Energy Scotland Hotline on 0800 512 012.
Are there any grants for installing Double Glazing?
There are grants available for installing double glazed windows. If you are looking to get a grant, it depends on a number of factors, which include:
• Your Age
• Your Local Authority (Council)
• The amount of Benefits you receive
Council Waiting Lists can be long for double Glazing Grants so be patient when going ahead with your application. The benefits will be well worth it!
To hear more about grants and offers in your local area, call your local Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512 012
Are there any grants for Solid Wall insulation?
There are no national grants available for Solid Wall Insulation available.
To find out whether grants for solid wall insulation are available in your area, please call your local Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512 012, or search our Grants and Discounts database
If you live in Scotland you are eligible for Stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package. One of the services that are available in this package is Solid Wall Insulation.
Is there any financial help so I can have loft insulation installed?
Where can I get free energy efficient light bulbs?
You can receive up to two free energy efficient light bulbs from The Energy Advisory Service at Tighean Innse Gall.
You can request your free light bulbs by using our portal service online.
How much can I save over time by getting Loft Insulation done?
Here is a chart to show you much you could save over time in the price of heating after getting Loft Insulation.
| Loft insulation (0-270mm) | Loft insulation (50-270mm) | |
| Annual saving per year (£) | Around £150 | Around £45 |
| Installed cost (£) | Around £250 | Around £250 |
| Installed payback | Around 2 years | Around 6 years |
| DIY cost | £250-£350 | £200-£300 |
| DIY payback | 2-3 years | 5-7 years |
| CO² saving per year | Around 800kg | Around 230kg |
Electrical Appliances [Back to TOP]
Is it better to buy a Desktop computer rather than a Laptop?
No, not only do Desktop computers take up more space- but they also use a lot more energy than Laptop computers.
Laptops use 25% less of the energy that desktop computers use. When powered up in active mode, Desktop computers use 126 Watts while Laptop computers use only 30 Watts.
How can I use my washing machine more efficiently?
You can use your washing machine more efficiently by washing your clothes at 30°c as much as possible.
Most modern detergents are designed to work well at 30°c or 40°c. Washing clothes at 30°c (rather than higher temperatures) will only use around a third less electricity over a year. Saving you energy and money!
Another suggestion to use washing machines more efficiently is to try not to use half-load settings. Wait for a full load and dry clothes outside as often as possible.
If you need to tumble dry, adding an extra spin cycle on the washing machine will mean you need to tumble dry for less time - the extra spin uses less energy than running the tumble dryer for the extra time.
When it comes to gas or electric ovens (and hobs), what is more efficient?
Electric ovens are said to be more efficient than gas ovens. This is because they use fewer units of energy to produce the same temperature in the oven.
Another reason for this is because 100% of the electricity (electric oven) used is converted into heat for cooking, whereas when you burn gas (gas oven), a proportion of the heat produced is lost in the waste combustion gases.
However each unit of electricity is associated with around 3 times as much carbon dioxide as a unit of energy produced from burning gas (and costs around 3.5 as much too!)
It really depends on your usage. Gas appliances generally work out to cost less to run and have lower associated carbon dioxide emissions.
I've heard leaving electrical appliances (i.e. televisions, computers) on standby only uses a small amount of energy. Is this true?
No, that's not true. General appliances such as TVs and CD players use more electricity in standby mode than people actually realise.
A TV's standby generally uses 1-7 Watts compared with around 190 Watts when switched on, but over the course of the year this can really add up.
The average house can save up to £40 a year by turning things off rather than leaving them on standby. Most modern appliances do not need a warm up time; the exception to this is 'complex' digital set-top boxes which need to be left in standby to keep their settings.
Nearly all other appliances can be turned off fully with no problems.
Saving Energy (and saving money) in the Home [Back to TOP]
What are the best energy saving tips you can give me for saving energy in my home?
You can simply have a look at our 'Top Ten Energy Saving Tips' Section of the website.
Here are some other points to help you in certain areas of your home:
Insulation
• Did you know that nearly 50% of the heat lost from an average house is through loft spaces and walls? By insulating these areas not only can you reduce your fuel bills, you can also make your home warmer.
• By installing loft insulation to a depth of at least 270mm (10"), you could save around £145 a year on heating fuel bills if you have no insulation currently. Topping up existing 50mm of loft insulation to 270mm could save you £40 a year.
• If your home is un-insulated, up to a third of your heat can be lost through the walls alone.
• Insulating cavity walls provides one of the biggest energy savings in the home, significantly reducing heat loss through the walls and saving around £110 a year.
Heating
• Replacing a G-rated gas boiler with a new A-rated one and a full set of heating controls could save you up to £225 a year on your heating bills.
• By upgrading your heating controls, you will improve the efficiency of your heating system. If you don't currently have a room thermostat, installing one could save you £55 a year.
Glazing
• Around 18% of the heat lost from an un-insulated home occurs through the windows. By fitting double glazed low emissivity with integral draught sealing this can be reduced by more than half.
• Replacing the single glazing in a house with Energy Saving Trust double-glazing - which is B-rated for energy efficiency - can save you around £135 a year.
Once you have insulated your home and improved the heating system, you can think about replacing your old electrical appliances with more energy efficient ones, and look at how you use energy in the home (for example whether you ever leave appliances on standby rather than turning them off).
Finally you could consider installing a home energy generation technology, such as solar panels.
Is it better for me to leave the heating on while I'm out of the house, rather than turn it off, so that the house takes less time to heat up when I return home?
No!
If you want your house to be readily heated up when you wake up in the morning, or come in from an outing, you should use the timer/programmer to switch the heating on a suitable length of time before hand.
You can time how quickly your home heats up and cools down by switching the boiler on and measuring the time taken to reach a comfortable temperature.
If this is, for example, 30 minutes, then set the programmer to switch the heating on 30 minutes in advance of times when you know you will be waking up or arriving home.
Leaving the heating on for any longer than this when you are out the house, even on a low setting, means that the boiler will be working continuously when the heating is not needed, and all the energy it produces will be wasted.
What temperature should I set my thermostat to?
Your central heating system, if properly controlled, will have either one or two thermostatic controls.
Room thermostat
This is used to set the temperature you would like to maintain in the main living areas of your house. Usually it is placed in the hall rather than the living room, as people tend to spend more time in the living room which can warm it up and turn the radiators off before the rest of the house has warmed up to the same temperature. A typical setting for a room thermostat is between 18 and 21°c; however the most energy efficient approach is simply to set your thermostat to the lowest temperature at which you feel comfortable.
You should try turning it down by a degree at a time to see how low you can get it without feeling uncomfortable.
Hot water tank/cylinder thermostat
If you have a hot water tank that supplies your hot water, the cylinder thermostat controls the temperature of the hot water stored inside. Your hot water cylinder thermostat should always be set to 60°C. This is hot enough to kill bacteria such as legionella, without overheating and therefore wasting energy.
If you have a combination boiler, i.e. that heats water on demand for immediate use and therefore does not use a separate hot water tank, the temperature of the hot water will be set using the appropriate controls on the boiler unit.
How should I set my central heating programmer?
In a well-insulated house the heat will be retained for a long time and it will heat up quickly so you need to bear that in mind when you set the times for your programmer to come on and go off.
The programme choices you get for heating and hot water are:
- On 24 hrs. (never switching off)
- Off (off all of the time)
- Once (on from morning to night)
- Twice (on in the morning then going off during the day and on again at night)
Start by setting the first on time to be about half an hour before you get up in the morning and set it to switch off half an hour before you leave for work. In the afternoon set it to switch on half an hour before you get home and one hour before you go to bed at night. If you find it's too cold then set it to come on a bit earlier. Most timers will allow you to set in 10 or 15 minute intervals.
If you find yourself in the house (or out of bed) when the heating is not normally set to come on, you can use the buttons like the boost (or over-ride) to supply extra heat for the time you need without having to re-set the times in the programmer.
Why do I need trickle vents in my new double glazed windows?
All houses need a certain amount of ventilation to prevent the build-up of condensation, as well as removing unpleasant household odours. Badly fitting doors and windows do this in an uncontrolled way.
Trickle vents allow you to control the amount of ventilation and reduce the potential loss of warm air. In some cases trickle vents may also be required to comply with building regulations.
How does condensation appear between the panes of my double glazed windows during the winter?
Condensation between the panes in double glazed windows is caused by moisture getting in between the glass layers.
When it is cold outside, the moisture in the air between the panes condenses on the outer glass pane, very much like water beading up on the outside of a cold glass of water.
Condensation between the panes in double glazing is a sign that the seal between the two sheets of glass is beginning to fail. Once this happens the windows will not be able to insulate your rooms from the cold outside as well as they did previously.
Does cavity wall insulation deteriorate over time?
Modern cavity wall insulation is estimated to have a lifetime of around 40 years and comes with a 25 year independent (CIGA) guarantee.
Does insulation cause a mess?
There's no mess when installing insulation.
For cavity wall insulation, the insulators usually don't have to come inside your house, while for loft insulation the fitters will only be in your roof space for a couple of hours to roll out layers of insulation. There will be no damage to your house.
Can I insulate the solid walls in my property?
Yes, you can insulate the solid walls in your property.
The process is usually more expensive than your typical cavity wall insulation and can be done most cost effectively at the same time as other renovation or redecoration work on the walls.
The three main methods of insulating solid walls are:
External Cladding
External insulation can be expensive and is usually carried out by a qualified builder or specialist firm.
An insulating material is applied to the external surface of the walls by mechanical means and is then given a protective waterproof finish. The insulation is applied in the form of mineral fibre or polyurethane foam in rigid boards although there are now some insulating renders that can be applied directly to the external wall.
Applying external insulation may change the external appearance of your house, so is not appropriate if your home is listed or historic, or has fine architectural detail you don't want to lose.
If your external walls need work on them anyway, then this is a good time to consider adding external insulation. External cladding on your home will need to be done by a professional installer.
Internal insulation
This is sometimes referred to as "dry lining" insulation depending on material used.
In some cases wooden battens are fixed to the walls and the space between them is then filled with insulating material, and covered over with a plasterboard finish. Laminates (ready-made insulation boards) are also available and can be fixed directly to the walls. Vapour barriers in the form of special plastic sheeting are usually incorporated to prevent condensation on the walls behind the new insulation.
It must be remembered that this form of insulation will reduce the overall size of the room, and skirting boards, door frames and electrical fittings may need re-positioned.
If you can't afford to insulate all rooms in your house, why not consider the ones that need the most heat first, e.g. the living room, main bedroom?
Internal insulation will normally need to be done by a professional installer, although someone who has experience of DIY around the home may consider doing it themselves.
Flexible thermal linings
This is often referred to as "insulated wall paper". There are several products available for internal insulation. These are best applied when refurbishing or prior to redecorating.
Some products are supplied in rolls of thick insulating material and are applied just like wall paper. Flexible thermal linings will help to reduce heat loss through walls, but you will not see such big savings as if adding external or internal wall insulation.
Flexible thermal linings can normally be done by those who feel confident with DIY, although you may want to employ a professional.
What percentage of heat is lost through walls which haven't been insulated?
In an un-insulated house, you can lose as much as 33% of the heat your heating system produces through the walls.
In an un-insulated home with solid walls, it could be as high as 45%.
Installing insulation (either cavity wall insulation, or insulation on solid walls) can help to cut this heat loss dramatically.
How exactly are floors insulated?
It depends on the type of floor you have.
Suspended floors
The easiest method of insulating suspended timber floors is to simply lay rigid, purpose-made insulation on top of the floor boards and then refit the underlay and the carpet. However this will increase the height of the floors, so doors etc. may need to be repositioned and skirting boards may need to be refitted.
A more effective method of insulation with suspended timber floors is to lift the floorboards. If mineral wool is to be used, then attach netting between the joists and lay the insulation rolls on top of the netting. Alternatively, rigid insulation boards can be used (which are nailed in place), or blown insulation can be used. This work is quite complex and will cause a certain amount of disruption in the house. However, the process can be made easier if there is access to the floor from below, for example, from a cellar.
The work will also be cheaper if done when the floorboards need to be lifted anyway, for example to run pipes or wiring, or when dealing with rot. Under floor insulation can restrict airflow so it is very important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation of the under floor area to avoid the build-up of condensation.
Solid floors
The ground floors of most houses are solid floors and the most common way of insulating them is to lay a new insulated floor above the existing concrete solid floor.
Usually the new insulated floor is a layer of rigid polystyrene overlaid with chipboard. Any existing chipboard or flooring needs to be removed before laying the insulation, otherwise it may rot. This insulation method will raise the floor level, so the skirting boards will need to be refitted and any doors will have to be trimmed to the new level.
As well as insulating your floors, you can also seal up cracks in floorboards and skirting boards using tube sealant, such as silicon, to stop draughts. However be careful not to block any under-floor airbricks on your outside walls, as these are necessary to prevent floorboards rotting.
Is it worth insulating my floor?
8% of heat loss in the home is due to un-insulated floors in the home.
If you have well insulated walls and loft, then floor insulation are worth considering. In most cases it is only the ground floor that is insulated as the heat loss from the other floors benefits the floors below.
This may be easier and more cost effective when carrying out other floor refurbishments, although this depends on the type of house and floor.
What size of boiler should I choose?
Boilers should be capable of providing heat for the number of radiators in the house, and the size of the property – oversizing will result in lower efficiencies and unnecessary capital costs.
The size of boiler will depend on the size of your home, how well it is insulated and the type of heating system you have.
For combination boilers, the power rating needed is generally determined by hot water requirements, as sizing correctly for how much hot water you need would generally produce more than enough heat output for adequate space heating.
Size for size replacement with your old boiler is not recommended as insulation levels may have been improved or the original sizing may have been incorrect – heating and hot water demand should always be reassessed by the installer before any new boiler is installed.
Is it more efficient to leave my boiler on all day for hot water?
It always takes the same amount of energy to heat the same amount of water to the same temperature.
If you heat your water just before you need it, the only energy you use will be what is required to heat the water. But if you heat the water in advance, then you have to provide that same energy plus the energy to keep it hot until you get round to using it.
We think it is best to only switch your hot water on when it is required. For most people this will be once in the morning and once in the evening. If you don't use a whole tank of hot water in the morning and the tank is well insulated, you might be able to get away with it coming on once in the morning only (just before you get up) and still have enough hot water to do the dishes at dinner time.
As every home has different hot water needs, it may take a bit of trial and error to find the best solution for your household. It is worth checking that you have at least 75mm (3") of insulation around your tank and topping it up with an extra jacket (these only cost around £12), as this will minimise the heat lost from your tank between heating periods.
I am replacing my boiler- what sort of boiler should I choose?
Today, all new and replacement boilers must be high efficiency condensing boilers, with a few exceptions. This is because Carbon Emissions are reduced by as much as 30%.
This is achieving our aim- saving energy and saving you money.
The initial price of a condensing boiler is slightly more expensive, but it will pay off in the long run as you can reduce heating bills by a further 40%.
