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Ministers are finally going to advise households on the best ways to cut their energy use and bills this winter. The public information campaign, expected before Christmas, is at the center of a debate that has spanned three prime ministers and divided the Conservative Party.
The government was ready to press the button on a £15m campaign signed off by the then business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, but was blocked by Liz Truss for fear she would be seen as a “nanny”.
Meanwhile, European governments have launched a series of campaigns, from urging the public to turn down the thermostat at home to turning off lights in public buildings. John Musk, an analyst at investment bank RBC, said: “The UK government has finally realized that the cheapest way to deal with the energy crisis is to save energy.”
The housing secretary, Michael Gove, said on Thursday that the campaign would not be “nanny or patronising”, and would point people to “authoritative sources of advice” on managing energy use. Those sources may include organizations such as the energy regulator, Ofgem, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and retail suppliers.
Previous state energy drives have used stars like TV chef Delia Smith to push the message. (Those ads are worth watching.)
It is unclear whether an advertising agency will be tasked with designing the campaign, although data from government tenders watchdog Tassel shows a contract worth up to £30m was issued by the Business Department in May for the “provision of media buying services”. – for everything from TV to social media – to a division of advertising giant Omnicom. A tender for a separate, four-year contract worth up to £1.5m for ad-hoc “campaign media activity” planning for the department was issued to agency Mindshare in the spring.
The Times reported that officials have identified eight changes to save up to £420 a year without loss of comfort. Here are some suggested measures and the estimated annual savings ministers believe each will deliver.
Boiler temperature reduction: £80
About 23 million homes get heat and hot water from gas boilers. Lowering the boiler flow temperature at which water is pumped from your boiler to your radiators won’t reduce the temperature of hot water from your taps, but can save money. Most combi boilers are set between 70 and 80C, but work most efficiently around 60C.
Turn off heating when moving out: £105
One obvious way to cut consumption and bills is to make sure you’re not heating the house when no one is in, by turning off the heating part of your leaving-home routine, such as grabbing your keys and wallet or bag.
Switch off radiators in empty rooms: £105
Similarly turning off radiators in unused or under-used rooms can result in significant savings. This is an even more obvious benefit for those with large homes or bedrooms that are not used daily.
Electrical savings such as ditching standby: £55
This is the estimated annual savings from a series of small steps like turning off electrical appliances instead of keeping them on standby mode. Other measures were not detailed in the Times report but may include remembering to turn off lights and avoiding tumble dryers in favor of drying racks. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that the two measures could save £25 and £70 a year respectively.
Switch to bath: £15-£20
Government analysis reportedly predicts that frequent bathers could save £15 by swapping it to once a week. EST advice states that taking just one shower a week for a four-minute shower can save £20 a year on bills. However, it is believed that the government has rejected calls to advise people to take shorter showers or turn down their thermostats due to ministerial nanny state concerns.
Investing in your home: Various savings
Campaigners have long argued that the single most effective way to save energy is through effective insulation. It is understood that the campaign will promote this measure, encouraging measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and thermostatic radiator valves. In the Autumn Statement last week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a further £6bn in energy efficiency funding from 2025.
EST estimates that using a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valve saves £180 a year. A full set of controls cost around £580 to install, an investment recouped in four years. Other measures, such as solar panels, will require more spending, although the payback time has shortened since the energy crisis has increased bills.
Other measures the government may consider advising the public include: draft-proofing windows and doors, insulating hot water pipes and bleeding radiators.
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