Understanding your energy bill

In these money and eco aware times it is becoming increasingly important to save both money and energy in a variety of aspects of your life. Your home, and in turn your energy bills are a great place to cut some of the cost and also the size of your carbon footprint.

Unfortunately, whilst these bills contain an absolute wealth of information about not only your usage but also your energy rates they are not always the easiest to understand.

Of course, not all electricity bills will look exactly the same and you may have to know where your energy provider of choice places each section however ultimately just by understanding the basics of each section you will be on your way to being able to interpret the information that you are sent.

Billing Period

Here you will find what dates your utility company has taken readings on your meter. You will find that that these dates will around the same time each month, although at times there may be some slight variations.

Amount owed

This is probably the first thing you are likely to look at when you receive your bill. After all it shows exactly what you need to pay. This charge is calculated using the two dates that you will find detailed in your billing period. The difference between these two amounts is multiplied by your energy rate and this creates your charge.

Average Usage

This section is probably one of the most useful when it comes to understanding your energy usage at home. They may be presented to you in a daily average or perhaps a monthly average but both will show your peak points. Of course during winter months energy usage is often higher than during the summer but you might also find out other factors that attribute to the amount of energy that you use.

Energy Rates

Here you will see your current applied energy rates. This may be split into peak and non-peak hours with the non-peak hours generally being cheaper than the peak hours. The reason behind this is because the grid that provides the energy is not used as much during the non-peak hours meaning that a lesser rate can be charged (encouraging people to use more energy at these times).

Knowing whether or not you are being charged dependant on the time you use the energy can lead you to making some cuts and saving money. Examples of this can be to only use tumble dryers during the night rather than when you get home.

So there you have it, a brief, yet informative guide to understanding your energy bill. Why not take some time to see what you can understand from your next one. You might be surprised by the money that you can save.

Of course, making changes to your energy use can come from a variety of different directions. One great way is with window films, just like the ones that you can get from www.arcwindowfilms.co.uk.

So make sure that you take the time to look into the different ways that you can make a difference to your energy bill and save yourself some money!

Too chilled out in the office?

 

How temperature can affect performance and productivity

With the weather taking a turn for the cooler it is natural to feel a slight dip in the temperature not only at home but in the office too. At home, a lower temperature that comes with winter and late autumn is not too much of a problem; you can either decide to pop another jumper on or turn up the thermostat and give the heating a boost.

The same can’t be said for those at work. In fact if you are feeling chilly, you  will find that you don’t have quite so much freedom when it comes to getting yourself warmed up. If you are an employer then you may say that there are plenty of other things that you need to think about when you are running a business and perhaps  temperature may not be top of the list. However, if you knew how much of an impact on the productivity of your staff temperature has then the likelihood is that you might make be more inclined to make an effort to ensure that the office is at the ideal temperature.

So what effect does temperature have on your staff?

Whilst no-one particularly enjoys being cold, let alone in the office, you may not think it would have that much of an impact on how you complete your work. However, the truth is much more surprising in fact the following statistics are quite telling in how a cold office can have a detrimental effect on those who work there.

A recent study found that when an office temperature was low, around the 20 degrees Celsius mark, the people who worked there made 44% more mistakes than those who worked at room temperature (25 degrees Celsius). Whilst 5 degrees does not seem like a huge difference in temperature, the truth is that it can have a real negative impact on your employees.

But why is this? One theory that explains the dip in performance and how it relates to the temperature is a simple one. Whilst you may think the dip comes from feeling uncomfortable, it is just as likely to be because your mind and body has become distracted, by trying to keep warm rather than concentrating on the task in hand. As well as improving your concentration levels, being warm makes us feel happier and happier employees are more likely to focus, create and drive towards not only achieving their goals but going that bit further too; a big boost to any business.

One way to keep the temperature up, whether in the office or at home, is to install window films throughout. Trapping the heat that is generated by the sun, window films, just like the ones supplied by us at Arc are a cost effective way to make sure that everyone is comfortable.

For more information on Arc Window Films visit www.arcwindowfilms.com

Make the change - Top tips for an energy efficient home

As winter draws in you may find yourself cranking up that heating and bringing out the electric heaters for those really cold days. You may not think about it, but alongside this you should also look at how efficiently your house is using the energy that you are pumping into it. After all, an energy efficient home will not only keep you warmer but will also ultimately save you money too.

For many of us, whilst we understand the concept of being energy efficient it might not be something we are entirely sure of how to best approach it and make those changes that can improve your home.

How do you heat?

When it comes to energy efficiency the best place to start is with how you heat your home. Gas heating is not only cheaper but is also energy efficient than electric, you should also take the time to completely familiarise yourself with the controls for your heating as being able to fully control the thermostat and which rooms you heat at given times will be a big help in the long run.

What’s up top?

Over recent years there has been plenty of talk about insulation and primarily the loft space that you have. The thickness of the loft insulation that you use will have an impact on the energy efficiency that you see with 270mm the optimum depth to aim for if you want to see a saving on your yearly energy bills.

Wall it in

As well as being able to place insulation in the loft space of your home, you can further maximise that trapped hot air by choosing to have cavity wall insulation too. In fact, a third of the heat that is lost in an un-insulated home escapes through the walls so by placing insulation in this empty space you can really see an improvement in your energy bills.

The window to some energy savings

Your windows also can have an impact on your energy efficiency. There are three main things to think about when it comes to making improvements in this area of your home; double glazing, curtains and window films. Double glazing has a huge benefit in keeping heat within your home when compared to single glazing and if you use heavy lined curtains instead of thin alternative this will also help.

Window films are another consideration, these are low cost micro-thin layers of polyester sheeting that are bonded to the surface of the glass, just like the ones that www.arcwindowfilms.com provide. Heat lost through your glazing can lead to increased heating costs. By installing energy saving window film you can reduce this heat loss by as much as 40%.

These can not only improve aspects of energy efficiency but also improve glare and provide UV protection too.

Anything else?

Of course there are plenty of other things that you can look out for at home to make an improvement to your energy bills, the age and condition of your boiler, draughts throughout the home, water meters and even energy saving lightbulbs are all items to check off your energy saving plan. It may seem that these things take some time to assess, however in the long run the money that you save should tempt you into making the effort.

Share your ideas on ways of making your home energy efficient by commenting below.

For more information on Arc Window Films visit www.arcwindowfilms.com