Housing Services Energy Efficiency Advice

Bury Housing Services promotes greener living and is constantly looking for new ways to make the borough a greener place.

Did you know that in 2021 Housing Services secured Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) wave 1 to improve the energy efficiency levels of 130 homes on the Chesham estate, saving money for you and contributing to a greener Borough.

In 2022 wave 2 commenced with SHDF funding to improve a further 210 properties in the Chesham area of Bury and properties in Unsworth to improve their energy usage and carbon saving. The Contractor for the work is local company, Green Grants Install and Arcus Consulting LLP provide Contract Administration, Clerk of Works and Principal Designer (CDM) Services. The work included:

Improvement of the ventilation in the property to reduce condensation.
New windows and doors to help heat loss, reduce unwanted draughts, and lower the cost of heating homes.
Solar panels installed to produce renewable electricity to reduce electric bills and lower the carbon footprint of homes.

There are many happy tenants who see lots of difference in their homes and energy bills thanks to this work.
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“My electric is a lot cheaper and I’m looking at getting an electric car now I’ve had the solar panels installed.”

“I’ve noticed the difference in a few weeks and It’s a lot warmer.”

“We’ve still not had the heating on because it’s a lot warmer. We would have had it on since August.”
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This work was made possible thanks to government funding which means that we unfortunately can’t complete the same work on all properties. We are currently looking at ways we can carry out more work on properties with low-energy performance certificate (EPC).

Energy Efficiency

First and foremost, frontline staff are trained to provide you with advice on cutting emissions and waste, perhaps saving money in the process.

Housing Services also look for ways to save energy in the workplace too, cutting our use of resources such as paper and ensuring staff recycle materials and become carbon literate.

Instead of washing dishes under running water, use a bowl to save water.
Use the economy or half load setting on your washing machine if it is not a full load, or wait until you have full load and use the 30°C wash programme.
Only boil the water that you need when making hot drinks (remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
You might already know that if you leave appliances like TVs, computers and DVD players on stand-by it wastes electricity & money. However, have you considered that microwaves, digital radios and phone chargers do the same thing? Turn them off at the socket or unplug them to save energy.
Close curtains at dusk to help keep the heat in your home.
Take care not to cover radiators with curtains or block them with furniture, as this will prevent them from heating the room.
Keep outside doors shut and block up obvious draughts (including the letterbox). Draughts are a major source of discomfort and can increase your heating bill. You can try to eliminate them all by using door curtains, draft excluders or curtain linings. Do use extractor fans and trickle vents.
During the day, open internal doors of any rooms that get more sun than others to help the warm air travel around your home.
When cooking, put lids on top of pans to keep the heat in and cook food faster.
Defrost fridges and freezers regularly to avoid a build up of ice, as this makes the motor work harder and uses more power.
Freezing leftovers from meals is a great way to save food, but wait for them to cool down before putting them in your fridge and freezer.
Use LED lighting where possible, as it uses much less electricity and lasts much longer than traditional light bulbs.● Turn radiators down in rooms which you only use occasionally – you can decide how warm you want each area to be in your home.
Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent.
Set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them.
Switch your lights off when you’re not using them.
If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. One full load uses less energy than two half loads.
Many energy companies offer discounts to customers. Speak to your energy provider to see if they can offer this discount.

What is a smart meter?

Smart meters are the new generation of gas and electricity meters. They are being installed in homes across Great Britain by energy suppliers at no extra cost, to replace the traditional meters - including prepay meters.

The new technology means you will not be billed inaccurate estimates that cost more than you were expecting.

Bury Housing Services do not install the meters, visit the official Smart Energy GB website for information and resources.

Energy advice from other organisations

Energy Saving Trust

The Energy Saving Trust offers impartial advice to communities and households on how to reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably and save money on energy bills. More information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.

National Energy Action (NEA)

The NEA develops and promotes energy efficiency services to tackle the heating and insulation problems of low-income households, energy bills and keeping your home warm.

Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP)

GMPH provides advice on simple adjustments around the home to reduce energy usage whilst helping to make households warmer and healthier places to live

Heating Guides

Daikin heat pump user guides

Some tenants may have a Daikin heat pump in their homes. If you are unsure on how to use them, please download the user guides.

Daikin Altherma Small Monobloc User Guide
[1.12MB]
Download
pdf file
Daikin Altherma Hybrid User Guide
[2.6MB]
Download
pdf file

Home energy saving advice