Live webchat with domestic energy expert Charlotte Lawrance, Mon 12 January, 1-2pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Charlotte's visiting MN to answer your questions about how to save money on your home's energy bills. As usual, if you can't make the chat but have questions you'd like to ask, please post them here. Charlotte has two children under six and a third on the way, plus four dogs, so she'll need a cup of tea and a sit down! Join us on Monday.

Morningpaper ? too low with regards to a house temperature is a personal decision, I can?t stand it if it is too warm but with little children in the house I have to keep the house warm. My heating is on at the moment at 19.

So, what can you advise us on then?

Simplysally, if you have thermostatic radiator valves on your radiators and there are rooms that are not being used it would be more cost efficient to turn the radiators down in the rooms not being used and shut the door to that particular room.

Hunkermunker, there are as you know various ways in which to save yourself money and reduce the heat loss from your home. If you want to start off small then change the lightbulbs to low energy as a first step. Then if you have cavity walls that are not insulated see about getting them filled. Insulating the loft to 270mm will also reduce your costs. Although you said you are not moving you could always ask a DEA to come and assess your property and produce an Energy Performance Certificate as that will highlight where you can save the most money and reduce your energy consumption.

Hunkermunker, Digiflux, come in 2 varieties ? one that works with a dimmer switch, and one that works with a normal light switch. They are 20 watt bulbs. Am sorry but can?t answer your question on the dimmer switch that doesn?t buzz.

lulumama ? with regards to how much money and energy you will save by upgrading your boiler to a Band A condensing boiler I cannot give you exact figures without producing an Energy Performance Certificate on your property

Slackrunner and Wilfsell, when I assess a property I look at the windows to see if they are single, double glazed or secondary glazing ? as this impacts on the heat loss.
Double glazing after 2002 is more efficient. Secondary glazing does reduce the heat loss and would therefore be a way of reducing draughts and heatloss.
If like you, Slackrunner, you want to move and therefore don?t want to pay to have double glazing installed but I can?t comment on the clingfilm type material as it is not something I would look at when assessing a property.

trinanz, I think Charlotte has just answered your question, in her answer to Hunkermunker.

'Although you said you are not moving you could always ask a DEA to come and assess your property and produce an Energy Performance Certificate as that will highlight where you can save the most money and reduce your energy consumption.'

(She really is an efficiency expert )

HTH

Morningpaper, with regards to airing the house v?s the condensation v?s keeping warm - it is necessary to allow natural ventilation through a property, I can?t believe the amount of properties I visit that have shut the vent on their chimney breast (this can lead to a significant build up in condensation and damp). I would never recommend blocking or closing airbricks ? they are there for a reason.

Julesjules and slackrunner ? with regards to foil behind the radiators it is a good question but its one of those items that as a DEA I don?t have to consider. Obviously if you can reflect the heat back into the room it has to be considered a benefit.

Charlotte, on the windows thing - what if you don't have double glazing after 2002?
Would "proper" secondary glazing make a difference to a rating?

so how do you get a DEA to come to your house? and is it very expensive?

trinanz - A qualified Domestic Energy Assessor can perform an Energy Performance Certificate on any residential property and will then produce a report telling you exactly where you can save money and what to do to insulate your house to a better standard etc. They are non bias and will not be trying to sell you anything ie double glazing etc.

Hi Charlotte
What are the most common inefficiencies that will make a difference to a house's rating?

Porpoise - there are various ways, you can go on the CLG website which will then allow you to search by postcode for a qualified DEA or simply google them. DEAs are not very expensive and when you think about how much advice you are getting without a sales speil very much worth the money.

Olivia - double glazing after 2002 is more energy efficent so you will get a better rating than if you have double glazing pre 2002. "Proper" secondary glazing will make a difference and improve the rating on the EPC so it is better than if you just had single glazing but double glazing is more energy efficent and saves more heat.

thanks, Charlotte - but when you say 'not very expensive', could you bit a little more specific, please?

are we talking less than £100? More than £100? Considerably more than that?

Hi Champagnesupernova.
I wish there were common inefficiencies to all properties but in the area I cover in Leicestershire there are so many different types and styles of property so it really varies!
Basically an inefficent boiler, single glazed windows, solid walls or cavity walls with no insulation and no insulation within the loft (if I had to say any was common it would be a poorly functioning boiler and a low level of insulation within the loft) that appear most frequently.

Fishie and Julesjules, I have a lot of low energy lightbulbs in my house that don?t take 10 minutes to warm up and they aren?t that dim. I would, for the sake of domestic harmony, have a look round a reputable DIY store and see what different types you can get.

Morningpaper ? with regards to your loft insulation it really does depend on the pitch of the roof, overall area needed to be covered and the ease of access to the loft hatch. So without seeing the property I couldn?t comment.

Wilfsell, your house has to be constructed in cavity bond to be suitable for cavity insulation. That depends on the age of the property. There is an easy way to tell if your property has been built of cavity bond construction and that is the way the bricks are facing ? have you just got a row of stretchers? Or is there a ?pattern? ie stretcher, header x 10 etc. If it is just stretchers than it should be cavity wall and therefore suitable for insulation. I would, personally, ring your local council and see if there are any grants available and they then may recommend a particular company to use.

Wilfsell, with regards to your question on solar panels I really wish I could answer it but I am a Domestic Energy Assessor and that isn?t my area of knowledge. As I would advise anyone with regards to estate agents, solicitors and even DEAs ? see if there are any kite mark schemes or professional bodies ie NAEA (for estate agents) RICS (chartered surveyors) and see who is on their list. If the company wishes to be part of a kite mark scheme or professional body then there will be certain codes of conduct that they have to adhere to.

Wilfsell and Gizmo ? tricky question and personally I do not have any views at present on mircro-generation as it is not something as a DEA that I am focusing on. Obviously if I was assessing a house that was creating its own energy that would impact on the Energy Performance Certificate.

The Government defines microgeneration as the production of heat and/or electricity on a small-scale from a low carbon source. Microgeneration can provide low carbon energy to a range of building sizes including homes, businesses, schools and communities. The most useful information I have found with regards to different types of micro-generation is on the website www.berr.gov.uk.

Mysterymoniker ? I have two springer spaniels, both from the same litter we only had one originally but my brother asked us to look after his for a week or two back in 2007 and he has never come back for the dog! I also have two lurchers. I?m a bit mean and don?t allow the dogs on the bed.

CatMandu, When I left school after doing A levels I went to work in sales, then ended up working as an administrator at a large nationwide surveying company. After looking after the surveyors I just found it really interesting and funded myself through a Diploma In Surveying Practice at the College of Estate Management ? the goal was to become a Chartered Surveyor. During this time I had my little girl (she is now fast approaching 7) and the Government was talking about bringing out the HIP. I thought it would be an ideal way of working/gaining experience whilst finishing off studies to be a surveyor. To get more experience I went to work as a valuer for an estate agents and then as a trainee surveyor at a different surveying office. I then completed a Diploma in Home Inspection (was on the first ever course for this) and SAVA/NHER course as a qualified Home Inspector. But just when I was finishing my final course I had my little boy and went on maternity leave. At this point the housing market was getting quiet and I was offered redundancy which I took. So since January 2008 I have been working for myself as a Domestic Energy Assessor which I love.