'Reducing energy usage is ideal way of saving money'

It come from the Energy Saving Trust during Energy Saving Week.

Carrick man and Trust head Noel Williams suggested: “There is no better time to save energy than right now. It is clear, not only from our research, but also from the tens of thousands of calls that come into the Northern Ireland Energy Saving Trust advice centre every year, that people want to know what steps they can take to save money and control their financial outgoings.

“This year’s Energy Saving Week is an important time to address the impact our wasteful behaviour on both our pockets and the planet. This is the fourteenth Energy Saving Week and I would encourage people to use it as an incentive to examine their energy habits around the home.”

Research conducted by Trust has revealed that a greater proportion of householders surveyed in Northern Ireland are looking to cut their fuel bills (83 per cent) than anywhere else in the UK, citing financial hardship as the main reason. Over half (58 per cent) of those surveyed here are using less energy than a year ago in a bid to save money. The same number would now consider a home survey to see if renewable energy could be installed in their property, and slightly more (59 per cent) would pay more to do up their dwelling if it made their home more energy efficient.

The Trust points out that If every householder in Carrick that could, insulated their cavity walls and lofts up to 270mm, replaced old fashioned bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turned their appliances off standby, owners would not only save hundreds of pounds a year on their fuel bills but together with people across Northern Ireland doing the same thing would also cut 300,000 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to taking 95,000 cars off roads.

Carrick politicians are backing the annual campaign.

Councillor Roy Beggs MLA said: “At a time when the economic situation is hitting people in the pocket, reducing energy usage is the ideal way of saving money as well as helping the environment.”

Echoing this sentiment, Councillor Sean Neeson MLA sounded a note of caution for some in the community: "I must emphasise, however, that people, in particular older people, should heat their homes appropriately in winter months in order to ensure their health and safety is maintained at all times. Projects such as the Warm Homes Scheme can help older people with measures such as cavity wall insulation that will both conserve energy and improve heating in the home.”