Energy at home

But there are lots of ways we can cut the amount of energy we use at home to help lower costs and our climate impact – win-win.

Using less energy

Simple changes to how you use energy every day can make a difference and don’t need any financial investment.

You could try:

• hanging your washing out / tumble drying less
• washing only full loads, using a lower temperature
• focusing on hot water – shorter showers, less full kettles
• turning off appliances when you’re not using them
• changing your appliance to one with an A+ energy rating

For more quick wins, visit Better Housing, Better Health and the Energy Saving Trust.

You can also get free advice on saving money and energy by contacting Better Housing, Better Health.

Home improvements

Making improvements to your home to make it more energy efficient, known as ‘retrofitting’, can make a big difference to heating and running costs, carbon emissions as well as how healthy and comfortable it is to live in.

Lower-income households may be eligible for grants to make home improvements, including insulation, solar PV and low carbon heating systems - some of which can cool your house as well as warm it. Get in touch with a local charity, Better Housing, Better Health, for free to find out about what financial support is available.

If you don’t fall into this bracket, there’s still help available:

Cosy Homes Oxfordshire is a one-stop-shop home retrofit service, making it simpler for homeowners in Oxfordshire to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Use the free Plan Builder app to quickly get an idea about the changes you could make to your home. You can also register for a home energy assessment.

The government is offering up to £6,000 in grants to help with the cost of installing low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, some of which can cool and heat your home. Find out if you’re eligible for the boiler upgrade scheme.