Advice on Energy Improvements

conor_mc said:
Good point Leo, I did find it hard to find consumption stats for the Tapo P110's that I have, found them for US-type plugs easily enough but not UK-type.
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Same, I eventually found some details on a user forum!!

Under the Ecodesign regs, most household devices sold in the EU must use less than 0.5W on standby, network connected devices can use up to 8W until next year when they must also meet the 0.5W limit. Smart plugs may still be a good idea then if you can control multiple devices via a single smart plug.
 
Yep, I have a 4-gang with several low-draw devices (TV, Sky Q, etc.) on one smartplug. Knocks off about 20W of power for 15 hours a day (most days!).
 
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If you just want to overall improve house comfort and running costs I would recommend going in order of payback
The info below is from the website https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/insulation
The pricing numbers might be a little out, as are the payback periods, but the order is pretty much correct.
Insulation typeCostsEnergy bill savings (£/year)CO2 savings (kgCO2/year)Payback (years)
Pipes & Water Tank£38£2267150.2
Loft£930£2706203.4
Cavity wall (270mm)£2,700£2806509.6
Solid wall (internal)£7,500£38088019.7
Solid wall (external)£12,000£38088031.6
Doors£840 – £4,325£45-44.4
Floor (suspended timber)£4,700£8018558.8
Windows< £15,000£16537584.8
 
I'd say that even if you don't have the money, solar PV is a no brainer. Using a Green Credit Union Loan @ 5.9% over 6 years would have been cost neutral for me over the repayment period, ie a payback period of 6 years. Using part-cash and repaying the smaller loan faster shortened it to 5 years.

That said, you need to shop around and refrain yourself from buying extra kit which you don't need just because it's there. (Like most purchasing decisions really). If I'd gone for the most expensive quote I got the payback would have been more like a decade.

There's several people I've given a detailed spreadsheet outlining my cost/benefit calculations to (and whom I periodically tell that I no longer have electricity bills) and I honestly can't figure out why they haven't made the straightforward and effectively cost free decision to get in solar. Possibly they're just getting scared off by the first quote they get.
 
AJAM said:
If you just want to overall improve house comfort and running costs I would recommend going in order of payback
The info below is from the website https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/insulation
The pricing numbers might be a little out, as are the payback periods, but the order is pretty much correct.
Insulation typeCostsEnergy bill savings (£/year)CO2 savings (kgCO2/year)Payback (years)
Pipes & Water Tank£38£2267150.2
Loft£930£2706203.4
Cavity wall (270mm)£2,700£2806509.6
Solid wall (internal)£7,500£38088019.7
Solid wall (external)£12,000£38088031.6
Doors£840 – £4,325£45-44.4
Floor (suspended timber)£4,700£8018558.8
Windows< £15,000£16537584.8
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I've seen this type of table before and am constantly amazed that probably THE number one heat loss issue and lowest hanging fruit in most houses in our mild (and getting milder) climate is consistently ignored i.e. air tightness or more to the point, the lack of it. There is absolutely no point in improving the insulation values of floors, walls, windows/doors or ceilings/roofs if the heated air is easily escaping and bypassing these insulation layers whether a wind blows or not. Not taking air tightness seriously is resulting in disappointing outcomes for the homeowner and will continue to.
Anybody considering going with any of the one size fits all one stop shop deep retrofit merchants needs to pay heed.
 
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@Micks'r I'd also be interested in learning more about air tightness, such as who will check the house for you, what are the more practical improvements that can be made, and idea of costs etc. Thanks.
 
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