One Planet Home

Save energy

Energy prices are soaring so an energy efficient home is more important than ever.

7 Simple tips to save energy in your home

  • 1

    Keep the heat in

    A quarter of your home's heat is lost through the roof if there is no insulation - and a further third through un-insulated cavity walls*. Insulate and draught proof your home to make it more comfortable and to keep heating bills under control.

    Insulate your home

  • 2

    Turn down your room stat

    Turning down your thermostat if it is set too high will save around £60 a year on heating bills and 250kg of carbon dioxide.

    If every home in the UK turned down their thermostat by one degree, collectively we could save £705 million a year on energy bills and as much carbon dioxide as taking more than a million cars off the road.*
    Find a thermostat for your home

  • 3

    Energy saving lighting

    Save around £55 a year from your energy bills, and 190kg of carbon dioxide by replacing all the remaining standard bulbs and halogen spots in your home with energy-saving light bulbs (CFLs and LEDs).*

    New LED light bulbs reach full brightness instantly and use even less electricity than older (CFL) energy saving light bulbs.
    View our range of energy saving bulbs

  • 4

    Wrap up your hot water

    Heating water for use in taps, baths and showers makes up around 23% of an average heating bill - that's around £160 a year.*

    Fit a tank jacket to your hot water cylinder, insulate hot water pipes and check that your cylinder's thermostat is set to 60°C
    Get a new jacket for your cylinder

  • 5

    Seal out draughts

    Draught-proofing windows and doors can save around £30 and 120kg of carbon dioxide a year.*

    Simply applying flexible sealant to block gaps around your floor and skirting boards can save around £25 and 100kg of carbon dioxide a year.*
    Stop draughts in your home

  • 6

    Dry your laundry naturally

    In a recent Energy Saving Trust survey**, it was found that households with a tumble dryer used more electricity to dry laundry than to wash it.

    Using a clothes line for at least some laundry can help to keep electricity bills down
    Start saving with one of our clothes airers

  • 7

    Switch off standby costs

    Homes can waste as much as 16% of their electricity bill powering appliances that aren't in use!

    A recent Energy Survey Trust survey** found that we spend even more than expected on standby. Switch off - and use an electricity monitors to find out what's using the most electricity in your home.
    View our range of energy monitors

All about energy

  • What is climate change? Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. It traps heat in our atmosphere, keeping the planet warm. As levels of CO2 build up, the atmosphere traps more and more heat leading to increases in average global temperature. This results in unpredictable and extreme changes to our climate.
  • What are carbon emissions? Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are released when we burn fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. In the regular carbon cycle CO2 is re-absorbed by plants and trees. But because we are burning so many fossil fuels, the regular cycle can't cope and CO2 levels are building up.
  • What is renewable energy? Renewable energy is made from the sun, wind and tides. Technologies like solar panels, wind and water turbines turn natural forces into energy for us. They can be small enough to put on your roof or in your garden, turning your property into a mini-power station.
  • How you can make a difference? Carbon is the problem, so cutting carbon is the solution! By saving energy in your home with insulation, lower heating and energy saving light bulbs, you can cut the amount of carbon your lifestyle is responsible for.

    What B&Q are doing about energy

B&Q's One Planet Home® programme is an award winning environmental scheme that has been designed to help our customers to make greener choices for their homes and to ensure that our business operates sustainably and responsibly.

* Source: Energy Saving Trust checked August 2012
** "Powering the Nation", Energy Saving Trust 2012

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