Council’s money-saving tips to save you £700 a year

North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC) has a Home Assistance service whose advisers can visit residents’ homes and advise them on how to make their house more energy efficient, and help arrange practical help for those unable to access it themselves. The advisers can also help vulnerable residents by signposting to government support and grants and help them access funding they are entitled to.

NEDDC Cabinet Member Cllr Jeremy Kenyon spoke about the support available and said: “It’s really important for everyone to understand that whatever your situation, nobody need go cold or hungry - there is a lot of help available, including from Government, Councils, Energy Companies and Charities. Our call centre is ready to help advise residents - if you, or someone you know needs help, please contact us on 01246 231111, or 01246 217670 for Rykneld tenants”.

He added “I thought my household was already pretty efficient, no tumble drier and a well-insulated home. But with energy prices now, small changes add up fast, and we've made some simple changes and cut our energy use by about £700 a year, with little impact.”

Saving include: £190 - heating our living room more than other rooms by using simple timer controlled thermostatic valves on radiators and £150 - house thermostat a couple of degrees lower and wearing extra layers

£90 - heating turned off from mid evening and we use thick quilts, and electric blankets if it is really cold (they are cheap to run, even all night – check yours is suitable for all night use, not all are).

£150 - TV brightness lower and not using it as background when working at home - instead we listen to radio through a laptop, £80 - using cool / quick / eco options on washer and dishwasher and £35 - quicker showers, on average, 5 minutes - also saving water

To find out more information and access the help available visit www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk. Home Assistance visits can be booked by calling the council on 01246 231111 or emailing [email protected]