Latest news with #energysaving
BBC News
5 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Energy grants for low-income households in Hull
Low-income households in Hull can apply for funding to make their homes warmer and cheaper to City Council said it had secured £3.4m from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to help reduce fuel poverty and enable eligible residents to make energy-saving home money will be allocated over a three-year period, officials scheme covers things like wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air-source heat pumps and solar panels. Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for housing, said: "Even though we're currently experiencing warm, summer weather, it's really not that long until things turn colder, so we want to let residents know that there is help available ahead of the autumn and winter."Because there is limited funding available, we need to make sure it's used wisely to help us support those who need it most," he be eligible certain criteria must be met and people can find out more and apply via the government website or by contacting the council's warm homes team. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Three things to do in your home before going on vacation
Summer is officially underway, which means many families are leaving their homes for relaxing summer vacations. But before you fly out the door with suitcases in tow, cleaning expert and internet personality Kyshawn Lane recommends you tick a few things off of a simple list to protect your home and save you thousands. Lane is known for his weekly home checks, which teach viewers how to save time, money, and energy while keeping their houses in the best possible condition. His latest video addresses the best way to leave your home prior to a vacation to ensure that you can soak up every second of relaxation while you're away. Daily Mail caught up with Lane, who explained why each tip is so important and provided some bonus advice. The first recommendation is to set your water heater to pilot or vacation mode. That saves energy by limiting unneeded water usage while you're out of town. 'The water heater is something that you know we're unconscious about, that we use it every day and how much energy it uses,' he told Daily Mail. 'So if there's no one home and there's no need for hot water, you might as well give it a break and put some money back in your pocket.' But he warned against turning the water heater all the way off, because getting it restarted can be a hassle. 'You'll have to relight the pilot and sometimes that can put a little stress on its parts,' he said. Second, he said to adjust your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer, which will keep you from coming back to a musty home, which can even impact your health. 'It's the perfect temperature,' he said. Especially if you have plants or even electronics that can be affected by the heat. Turning your thermostat to a perfect 78 degrees can prevent damage to those items while saving energy and money. 'If you have pets or even electronics and plants, it can be crucial,' he said. Lane warned, however, not to turn your thermostat all the way off. 'It's going to use more energy, trying to get the climate back to where it was or where it needs to be,' he explained. He said it's also crucial at the end of each summer to perform routine maintenance on any over-worked appliances. 'Get your AC checked or tuned,' he said. 'It should be done like every one to three years depending on how you use it so that it's good for next summer. You don't wanna be in a predicament where it's blazing hot outside and suddenly that AC cranks out on you so definitely always be up-to-date with the health of your AC.' Having frozen pipes is also a costly consequence of not taking care of your home before leaving on a vacation in the winter time. 'There are damages that we don't see... when your pipes freeze or they burst,' he said. 'Then you have water in the walls and you have to worry about fighting mold and bacteria growing in the walls.' To prevent costly, often invisible damage, turning the heat to just 55 degrees is crucial. For money and energy saving in any season, Lane said it's a good idea to make sure none of your air is escaping through cracks in windows or door frames. Homeowners often unknowingly crank up their energy bills because regulated air isn't circulating properly in their home. The hack he said is the most important? Turning off the main water valve in your home to prevent leaking. Lane learned this lesson the hard way after forgetting to complete the step and coming home to a water leak that cost him thousands of dollars. 'I returned from vacation. It was around 10 pm at night. I'm thinking I'm just gonna come home and have a chill night and go to bed,' Lane recalled. 'I come home to a leaking ceiling that started from my top bathroom floor and penetrated all the way down to my basement.' He said something as simple as turning off his water valve could have prevented the inconvenience and thousands of dollars he had to spend to have it fixed. 'Just something as simple as turning off the main water valve when you're gonna be away for a few days will give you peace of mind that you won't be returning to a tsunami once you come back home,' Lane said. If you live in an apartment and don't have to worry about water valve leaks and water heater costs, Lane said there are still a few things you can do to save yourself some money and make sure you're coming home to a relaxing space. He said to place electronics like your refrigerator on energy saver or vacation mode before heading out of town and unplug toasters, lamps, and electronics that won't be used while you're away. 'When we go out we always say "I'm unplugging," do the same for the home,' he said. When you return from a trip, Lane said to make sure to turn your water valve back on, switch on the water heater, and set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature once again. But he noted there are a couple of extra steps he likes to take to make sure everything in the home is in order. 'I'm flushing the toilets to make sure that everything is still working. I'm running the faucet,' he added. He said it's good to make sure your space is 'in good shape to move forward since you know it hasn't been used.' Lane frequently shares tips and tricks for homeowners on his Instagram and TikTok page. In any season it's important to make sure you're not wasting your money or energy on unnecessary home repairs and expenses. 'We're about saving money here,' he said.
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Electricity Prices Are Rising And What You Can Do To Cut Costs
Symbolic light bulb with photo of high-voltage power lines, ascending arrows for design on theme of ... More energy industry, global energy crisis with rise in cost of energy carriers, inflation, energy saving Have you noticed a change in your electric bill lately? The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates that 2025 will be the most expensive year of the decade, with the average U.S. household expected to pay at least 6% more than in the previous year, and significantly more for others, depending on location and housing type. Multiple factors at play contribute to their bills becoming unmanageable. The most effective tips for mitigating rising electricity bills include updating your appliances and insulation, as well as unplugging electronics you aren't using. Let's start with the rising cost of natural gas and explore the reasons behind this increase. Natural gas accounts for approximately 40% of the electricity generated in the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, exports of liquefied natural gas have increased to 12.9 billion cubic feet per day, a threefold rise. This means that we have a limited supply of natural gas in our country, which raises its price and, in turn, increases the cost of electricity produced by it. To make matters worse, those exports are expected to double in the next five years and depending on the energy policies we implement in the future, that number could double again. In the graph below, you can see what the EIA is projecting. U.S. LNG Exports The rise in electricity prices cannot be attributed solely to natural gas exports; multiple factors are contributing to this increase. The second factor is rising demand. New data centers and AI are expected to drive this demand, which, according to Rystad, is projected to grow at a rate of 4% annually. To put that in perspective, it is nearly double the rise in demand we experienced from 2000 to 2020. A single data center can use as much electricity as 80,000 homes, and by 2030, we are projected to add as much as 30 GW of electricity demand from data centers in the U.S. That is equivalent to the power generated by 30 nuclear reactors, solely for data centers. Fortunately, most of these data centers will build out some form of electricity generation to assist in powering the centers. In Pryor, Oklahoma, where Google is building a new data center, a new solar array will be built alongside it, and Google has agreed to purchase that power. What is yet to be seen is how the passage of HR1, commonly known as the Big Beautiful Bill, will impact these renewable power installations with data centers. Tax credits for wind and solar projects are being terminated for projects that are not complete by the end of 2027. At a time when electricity demand is growing at historic levels and is expected to continue doing so, we are making it harder to generate that electricity. Infrastructure Matters The most critical aspect of your lights coming on is the infrastructure that carries electricity to homes and businesses across the nation. However, 70% of transmission lines and distribution transformers are 30 years old, according to the Smart Electric Power Alliance. These transmission lines are now expected to face a 260% capacity demand increase by 2050 due to the growth of data centers, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. There are two pieces to this. When the infrastructure itself cannot meet demand, prices increase, as it is an essential part of the supply chain. Second, the cost of that new infrastructure is being passed on to us, the customers. According to the Cato Institute, grid costs now comprise up to 50% of your electric bill. In many areas, delivery costs have risen by nearly 70%. In my personal experience reviewing other people's electric bills over the last two years, delivery costs have been the most significant driver of their bill increases. Higher demand for an ageing grid in a specific area can increase bills dramatically. If that weren't enough, grids require digital upgrades for renewable energy, and the assistance for those upgrades is also being eliminated. All of this has resulted in electricity prices rising by over 6% per year since 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which averaged 1.6% during the previous hundred years. Here are some tips to help you save money on your electric bill. · Switch to LED Bulbs · Install a smart thermostat · Seal air leaks · Use Energy Star appliances · Set your AC to 78 degrees. Each degree lower increases cost by 6-8% · Lower the water heater to 120 degrees. · Use cold water for laundry · Unplug items you aren't using. · Leverage of off-peak hours. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by implementing some of these tips according to the Department of Energy. If you would like to maximize your potential savings, consider getting an energy audit done. Many utility companies offer this as a free service, and it could potentially save you up to 30% on your electric bills. If your utility company does not offer this free service, you may find a local professional that could do it for as little as a hundred dollars, just make sure they are accredited. If you are more of a do it yourself type individual you can download DIY energy assessments at
CNET
18-07-2025
- Climate
- CNET
10 Home Hacks to Cool Down Without Blasting the AC
As the heat waves keep coming this summer across the US, it pays to be on your guard. Drink lots of water, avoid peak sun hours -- and make sure your home stays cool. That's especially important if you're protecting kits, pets or older relatives when temperatures suddenly spike. I and other CNET experts have spent years testing the best-performing home cooling tech, smart thermostats and energy-saving tips for times just like these. Here are my top steps and tech that can keep your home cool without blowing up your energy bills. 10 Home Cooling Hacks to Get You Through Heat Waves 1. Use a portable air conditioner and monitor room temperature carefully Arlo sensors can do nearly anything and are easy to move whenever you want. Arlo Whole-house air conditioners remain very important in heat waves, especially when combined with other cooling methods. But not all homes have whole-house AC, and in severe heat waves, they may not be enough. Another option is a smart portable air conditioner that you can plug in and move from room to room, depending on where you're spending time. Take a look at our list of the top portable air conditioners. You'll find models with remotes, voice assistant support, timers, dehumidifier functions and much more. Expect to spend around $400 for a good model that you can use for summers to come. Important note: Once temperatures start rising well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, basic ceiling fans don't really make a difference, especially when addressing health issues. It's important to focus more on home insulation and air conditioning. In many homes, some rooms can get much hotter than others, which doesn't help central thermostats do their job. Consider home monitoring devices that can sense temperature, like these all-in-one Arlo security sensors we tested. That way, you can constantly monitor the temperature in a particular spot (sitting room, bedroom, baby's room, etc.) and take action if it gets too high. 2. Set a strict curtain schedule for your windows Sunlight streaming through your windows can heat up objects and air inside your home, making a heat wave worse. Close your blinds completely during the hottest temperatures for better protection. You can also search for smart blinds and curtain retrofits to let you set automatic schedules to make this process easier. Once the outside temperature drops significantly below indoor temps, your insulation starts working against you. So, if your region experiences cooler nights, wait for the temperature difference and open windows around your home to create cool air flow. 3. Replace your HVAC filter and order an inspection Kangaroo includes a climate sensor, aka leak detector, in its expanded eight-piece home monitoring kit. Kangaroo To prepare for a heat wave, you'll want to replace your home HVAC filter, which is typically located right at the fan system that pushes air around your house. It's a good idea to keep several properly sized filters nearby so you can switch them out a couple of times a year, or when you really need efficient airflow. If you have time, you should also schedule a maintenance visit from a professional HVAC contractor. Among other things, they can test the refrigerant levels in your AC system. Refrigerant can leak out over time and make your air conditioning less efficient. Making sure you have the proper levels is important ahead of a hot period. Read more: HVAC Maintenance Guide: What to DIY and When to Call a Pro 4. Install leak detectors and monitor for leaks Home leaks are often associated with freezing temperatures when pipes crack in the dead of winter. But heat waves can cause an opposite, yet similar, problem: Pipes can expand and damage their valves and other components, which also leads to leaks. Also, AC units can go into overdrive and may leak more than usual in your basement or garage. Most home security systems, like Abode, offer leak detector add-ons that you can place in susceptible areas to get alerts or alarms when water on the floor is detected. You can also find standalone units from Eufy and other brands. 5. Keep your outdoor home devices out of direct sunlight Cutting down on drafts helps keep the cool air inside. BanksPhotos via Getty Shade is your friend when placing outdoor electrics like home security cameras or outside sensors -- even robot lawnmowers. High temps can wreak havoc on batteries, make sensitive electronics overheat and may even cause plastics to melt. So when the temperature starts shooting up, bring your electronics inside or into the shade until the hot spell is over. And please watch where you install your home cameras. 6. Check and replace your weather stripping Weather stripping refers to those small strips of felt and rubber at the edges of windows and doors. They play a vital role in home insulation: When they wear down or get ripped off, the gaps notoriously cause drafts. That's unpleasant in wintertime, but during a heat wave it can sap all the cool air that your AC has created, keeping your home from cooling down fully and increasing the risk of heat-related health problems. Prep for heat waves by checking weatherstripping and blocking any drafts from worn materials. You can find weather stripping yourself for a DIY project, but it's important to get the right kind to match your doors and windows. 7. Find cooler alternatives for cooking Keep kitchens calm and cool during a heat wave. Brothers91 via Getty Cooking and baking produce a lot of heat in the kitchen, so you may want to reduce those activities during a heat wave. That's why we have an entire guide on how to keep your kitchen cool when temperatures rise, including prepping meals beforehand or cooking late in the evening. Also, this may be a great time to check out meal delivery services. Read more: Don't Turn Your Oven on During a Heat Wave. Do This Instead 8. Search for electronics to unplug and stop using Large electronics can produce a lot of background heat even when they're in standby mode. When the heat gets really bad, try unplugging larger electronics entirely. That can include A/V receivers, game consoles, desktop computers and televisions -- depending on what you plan to use that day. On that note, refrain from running heat-producing appliances like dishwashers and dryers, or at least wait until nighttime when the temperature drops. Read more: Heat Wave: Keep Your Phone From Overheating in Record Temps 9. Replace your lighting with smart lights There's one other surprising part of the home that produces a lot of heat -- your incandescent lights, which are terribly inefficient at using energy (touch one to find out). Newer LEDs (light-emitting diodes) found in smart lights create almost no heat and tend to last much longer. The key is finding high-quality, affordable smart lights, which is why you should head over to our list of the best smart lights available. Switch out those sweaty lights with LEDs and your house will start feeling cooler. 10. Create easy access to emergency medical services An Echo can help during a heat wave emergency. Amazon If it looks like someone is suffering from heatstroke or a similar condition, it's important to get medical attention immediately to help them out. Signs include lots of sweating accompanied by headache, nausea and disorientation. If someone shows problems like these, get them in a cool spot and contact emergency services. You can also bathe their feet in cool water to help them get relief. Some home security plans can make this easier. The Alexa Emergency Assist plan ($6 per month) is a good option, since it works with existing Alexa speakers and lets you immediately call for help and notify family emergency contacts with a command. That can be especially important for elderly relatives who may live alone and are more susceptible to heat-related conditions. For more temperature management choices, visit our guide to the best smart thermostats and look at the top DIY security monitoring systems. It's also a good idea to brush up on heatstroke safety and how to stay safe when air quality is really bad.
CNET
16-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
This Spendy Thermostat Is Paying for Itself by Cutting My Energy Bills, and It's 14% Off Too
Deal alert: The Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4 is available for $240 -- a discount of 14% or $40 -- on Amazon. Price is our biggest complaint about this thermostat, so this deal makes it a bit more compelling to snap one up now. CNET's key takeaways $240 for a smart thermostat may sound like a tough deal, but mine is set to pay for itself this summer thanks to lower heating and cooling payments. Automated Eco Modes make energy saving easy, even if you don't have time to plan out your schedule. Local utility rebates may also help make the thermostat more affordable. My Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4 is astonishingly beautiful -- I've had people stop in my hallway just to look at the shifting rain and sunset animations. But that beauty, and all the smart features inside, is pricey: Normally priced at $280, it's one of the most expensive smart thermostats I recommend. So why take the plunge? Because Nest's Eco modes are so effective, my Nest smart thermostat is set to pay for itself this summer through electricity savings -- and I barely had to do anything except set it up. Here's how it all works, and why I'm glad I kept this Nest smart thermostat around. Read more: One Tiny Gadget Is the Unsung Hero of Today's Smart, Energy-Saving Home My experience with the Nest Learning Thermostat 4th-gen A Nest Thermostat showing lightning. Google Nest With a larger dial than ever, the Nest Learning Thermostat 4 is well-suited to showing off, both aesthetically and with data-backed insights on indoor and outdoor temperatures, humidity and more. My favorite customization is putting the outside weather at the forefront of the display, which shows moving weather graphics that capture the current state of the skies, from falling snow to twinkling stars. Google's research indicates people save around 10% to 15% on their energy bills with a smart thermostat, which works out to an average savings of $132 to $145 per year. Nest's reports help you chart savings and troubleshoot energy problems. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Those numbers reflected my results fairly well. From early fall to the colder winter months, I saved around $10 to $15 per month with Nest's tweaks and by balancing my electricity usage with less costly natural gas heating. As the months warm up that number is growing higher, and I expect to save around $20 per month in the summer heat -- enough to pay for my thermostat sometime this year. After that, it's all gravy. Smarts behind a pretty face Nest Thermostat 4th-gen showing app controls, sensor settings and more. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Given permission, the thermostat learns my habits and adjusts heating and cooling levels in response. Auto-Eco mode, for example, will turn the thermostat down automatically if it senses there's no activity in the house, which saves more money. Adaptive Eco will take care of the details for me, while Eco Hold will stick to a money-saving temperature that I choose manually. The Auto-Scheduling function does something similar, since it learns how I adjust the thermostat throughout the day and mimics my comfort preferences over time so I don't have to keep tweaking the settings. Google Home makes it easy to apply weekly schedules in moments. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Adjust the temperature manually at any time and when you see the green leaf icon appear, you'll know you're in savings mode. That makes it easy to adjust on the fly when the temperature feels about right, but you'd like to squeeze more savings out of the thermostat. Nest's Eco Modes also generate reports so I can see monthly progress and note any sudden problems or unexpected energy use. If there's a strange jump in energy use, the scheduling may be off, or you may be using electricity-hungry devices too much (my space heater and I are guilty of this). There's also a gamified "leafs" competition against other users that I don't care much about, but it's there for those interested. Satellite sensors and other ways to save Thermostat satellite sensors are one of the best inventions for home heating. Tyler Lacoma/CNET My Nest model also came with a satellite sensor, a little white puck that wirelessly transmits the temperature where it's placed to the thermostat. I can tell the Nest Learning Thermostat 4 to turn on or off based on its own built-in readings, on the readings of the satellite sensor, or a combination of both. Sensors like these help thermostats be more accurate based on where you actually spend time. For example, if I'm going to be spending the evening in a movie session at my TV or computer, I can bring the sensor along and when those heat-exhaling electronics heat up my personal space, the thermostat will take that as a sign to shut off early. The Nest thermostat smart home integrations are very limited, but that does make it easier to set up. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Then there are the peak hours programs, under names like Peak Perks, Rush Hour Rewards, Nest Renew from Google and other labels that indicate a partnership with utility companies. If your local utility supports these programs, you can join up and your Nest thermostat will make additional small changes throughout the day, avoiding the often-pricier peak hour energy use when possible. You give up some control of your thermostat with programs like these, which may displease some users, but it does enable you to save more. Many energy providers will also offer bonuses or rebates you can use to recoup the cost of an expensive thermostat even faster. A quick note about setup: If you're worried about installing the thermostat in your home, there's not much to fear from the process. I have a full guide here, but as long as you practice electrical safety and snap a picture of your current thermostat wiring, setting up the Nest Thermostat Gen 4 and getting it connected to Wi-Fi shouldn't be a problem, especially with Google Home app walkthroughs. The specs for the Nest Learning Thermostat 4th-gen Diameter: 3.9 in (98 mm) Depth: 1.1 in (29 mm) Weight: 5.7 oz (161.8 g) Display: 2.7 inch (68 mm) diameter circular liquid crystal display (600 x 600 pixels) Sensors: Soli sensor for Motion Sense, Temperature, Humidity, Ambient light Power consumption: Less than 1 kWh/month Power source: HVAC system wiring C (common) Wire: Not required Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) HVAC system compatibility (Check your Nest compatibility here): Most 24V systems, including gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant. It can control: Heating 1, 2, and 3 stages (W1, W2, W3); Cooling 1 and 2 stages (Y1, Y2); Heat pump with auxiliary and emergency heat (O/B, AUX, E); Fan (G, G2, G3); Power (C, RH, RC); Humidifier and dehumidifier (HUM, DEHUM); Ventilation (VENT). Smart home: Works with Google Home and Matter Warranty: 2-year standard for retail, 5-year standard for HVAC Pros Certifications: Energy Star-certified CNET's buying advice Nest's thermostat is one of the best high-end models I've seen. Tyler Lacoma/CNET It turns out a $240 smart thermostat isn't such a tough sell when I can see how mine will pay for itself in just about a year. It offers a plethora of energy-saving modes that users can pick from to rack up monthly savings -- most of them automated without requiring tinkering or calculators. I've even seen it available with rebates and free installation to speed up that payoff date. While Nest's circular thermostats have always had a flair for the dramatic, the Gen-4 model blows away the competition with a larger design that makes the most of its beautiful LED lighting and presence sensing to light up whenever someone walks past. The bright green leaf icon always shows instant savings for those who don't want to dive too deep into app management. Those who do want to explore the app will find settings for seasons, learning behaviors, weekly schedules and lots more.
