Night storage memories and Energy Management

Night storage memories and Energy Management

We had a large storage heater in our rustic country kitchen. In the cold months it was a seat of sorts. The coal fire in the living room rarely gave off enough heat to filter through to the rest of the house. Even first time guests would find themselves perched against the large metal frame of the night storage heater in our kitchen. It stayed hot all day, but towards the evening the intensity of the heat eased off. My new home had storage heaters, and these childhood memories were fond, but I knew it meant I needed to do some energy management and find a more efficient way of heating our house.
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nI needed more than just some tips to save energy. Fuel bills are more than they used to be, and storage heaters, although a good idea if you get a cheap evening rate, always seem to work best in the morning when you need them least if like me you’re at work then! A complete energy assessment was needed to find out how I could heat the house, and importantly, retain heat in my home.
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nInsulation also seemed like a good idea but I didn’t have a clue where to start. How was I going to work out how much energy I was already using, and how was I going to work out what I needed to do to use less. And how was I going to pay for all the improvements?
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nA friend at work pointed me to a green energy management advice organisation. Because of global carbon saving measures, there are a range of groups out there who will give you free advice on energy efficiency, and often let you know about financial incentives such as green rebates and green loans.
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nIt’s a win-win situation, because reducing household energy consumptions means we reduce carbon footprints, and these carbon saving projects are part of a wider campaign to saving carbon. We do well out of it, because the impact on us is we get better, more efficient home appliances, and pay less for their running costs.
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nAfter I contact the energy management organisation, they carried out an energy assessment, and gave me loads of invaluable advice. The installation of the energy efficient products in my home now mean there is better insulation throughout the house, and my energy bills are much less than they used to be.
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nI don’t miss those storage heaters at all. They were expensive to run and inefficient – just draining my cash and heating my home when I wasn’t even in to appreciate it. Now when I have friends round in the cold months of the year, they can just go straight to the nearest chair and sit down and relax, rather than perch uncomfortably on an inefficient storage heater, and think about when they’re going to go to their warm home. My next plan is to install solar hot water. Speak to an energy management organisation, because energy efficiency in the home pays for itself and more.
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Posted Date: 2009-08-03 23:35:21