Energy Saving Week – Mon. 27th Nov. – Fri. 1st Dec. 2023

Winter energy bills – small changes can lead to big savings.

Energy Saving Week is set to help people across Northern Ireland reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions.

Energy Saving Week returns to Northern Ireland for its 23rd year, running for five days from Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December 2023

The campaign will see Energy Saving Trust, supported by the Housing Executive and partners, share energy saving advice to help households reduce costs and carbon emissions. The annual energy saving challenge for primary schools will
also take place during the same period. For further information about the campaign, please visit Energy Saving Week 2023 – Energy Saving Trust

Household energy bills remain much higher than they were two years ago due to continued volatility in global fossil fuel markets. Alongside the continuing escalation of the climate emergency, this makes Energy Saving Week’s message
more important than ever.

The strapline of the campaign is ‘Wee changes, big differences’, and each day of Energy Saving Week will follow a different theme, from how people can heat their home for less to quick wins to save money. Energy saving tips will be shared throughout the week on Energy Saving Trust’s social channels.

A typical oil-heated three-bed, semi-detached house could save on their annual energy bills with these five tips:

1. Lowering your thermostat by one degree could save around £85 in fuel costs for oil-heated homes and 430kg of carbon emissions annually. For most, the lowest comfortable temperature to set your heating is between
18°C and 21°C – according to the WHO.

2. Installing and correctly using a full set of controls – including a programmer, room thermostat and individual thermostatic radiator valves – with your current heating system could save you around £120 a year and 425kg of carbon emissions a year.

3. Swapping your light bulbs to LEDs could cut your yearly energy bills by £75 and reduce your household’s carbon emissions by up to 50kg.

4. . Cut one minute off your daily electric shower to save £15 for each person in your household per year.

5. Avoid standby mode and turn off unused devices to save around £70 and reduce carbon emissions by up to 45kg every year.

Schools challenge launches

To coincide with the Energy Saving Week campaign, Energy Saving Trust in partnership with the Housing Executive and Eco Schools project, will engage with primary schools across Northern Ireland to take part in an energy saving school challenge.

Pupils will be encouraged to save energy at home and reduce their carbon footprint by completing a range of daily energy saving tasks. These include turning the tap off when they brush their teeth, switching the lights off when they don’t need them, or turning TVs and games consoles off standby when not in use.

Each school that participates will be issued with a certificate to illustrate the total amount of carbon their pupils save through the challenge. They will also be competing to win a £1,000 prize sponsored by Power NI to contribute to a sustainability project.

Kevin McGarry, programme manager, Northern Ireland said: “As we head into the colder winter months and with energy prices remaining high, it’s important that people know how to make small changes to reduce the amount of energy they use around their home, keeping bills as low as possible while staying warm and comfortable.

“With many households across Northern Ireland impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, the theme of Energy Saving Week this year is ‘Wee changes, big differences’. As well as reducing bills, using less energy will have a positive impact on lowering carbon emissions which are a direct cause of the climate emergency. We look forward to continuing our work with our partners and schools to reach and help as many people as possible throughout Energy Saving Week”

Energy Saving Week is supported by the Housing Executive and delivered in partnership with Power NI, NEA NI, Bryson Energy, the Consumer Council, Radius Housing, Clanmil Housing, Choice Housing, NIFHA, APEX Housing Association, Phoenix Energy, Evolve, firmus energy and SSE Airtricity.

Savings figures

All savings based on a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house, with an 89% efficient oil boiler using an average oil tariff over the past 12 months of 6.0p/kWh or 75p/litre (based on 1000 litres order/£375 for 500 litres) and average electricity tariff of 36.3p/kWh, based on supplier tariffs; correct as of October 2023.

Statistics and savings are based on discounted rates to ensure customers are provided with as accurate information as possible at time of publication.

Please note, the discounts are subject to change pending timelines for implementation.

About Energy Saving Week

Energy Saving Week runs from Monday 27 November – Friday 1 December 2023. More details about Energy Saving Week and the Schools Challenge can be found at energysavingtrust.org.uk/ni-esw/ 

For advice on how to save money or reduce energy costs, please check out the links below.

Check out the @ConsumerCouncil handy comparison tool to find out all the information you need #EnergySavingWeek23 https://consumercouncil.org.uk

For some handy tips on how to save energy within your home, please visit: http://newingtonha.co.uk/…/what-is-energy-efficiency.pdf