Energy Efficiency
Six Town Housing promotes greener living and is constantly looking for new ways to make the borough a greener place.
Did you know that in 2021 we secured £1.56m from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to improve the energy efficiency levels of 100 homes on the Chesham estate, saving money for you and contributing to a greener Borough.
First and foremost, we ensure that we have frontline staff trained to provide you with advice on cutting emissions and waste, perhaps saving money in the process.
We also look for ways to save energy in the workplace too, cutting our use of resources such as paper where we can, investing in electric vehicles and ensuring we offer ways for staff to recycle materials and become carbon literate.
Become an Energy Champion
Six Town Housing offers free energy efficiency training to tenants who can act as ambassadors in the community, helping others to understand how to cut down on energy usage and be more environmentally friendly.
If you are interested in becoming an Energy Champion, please contact our team on 0161 686 8000 or email enquiries@sixtownhousing.org for information.
Home Energy Saving Tips
Our Environmental Project Officer Fiona Hill has created a list of tips which could help you make savings to your bills while helping the environment. Follow Fiona on Twitter here to receive regular energy saving tips throughout the year.
● Instead of washing dishes under running water, use a bowl to save water.
● Use the economy or half load setting on your washing machine if it is not a full load, or wait until you have full load and use the 30°C wash programme.
● Only boil the water that you need when making hot drinks (remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
● You might already know that if you leave appliances like TVs, computers and DVD players on stand-by it wastes electricity & money. However, have you considered that microwaves, digital radios and phone chargers do the same thing? Turn them off at the socket or unplug them to save energy.
● Close curtains at dusk to help keep the heat in your home.
● Take care not to cover radiators with curtains or block them with furniture, as this will prevent them from heating the room.
● Keep outside doors shut and block up obvious draughts (including the letterbox). Draughts are a major source of discomfort and can increase your heating bill. You can try to eliminate them all by using door curtains, draft excluders or curtain linings.
● During the day, open internal doors of any rooms that get more sun than others to help the warm air travel around your home.
● When cooking, put lids on top of pans to keep the heat in and cook food faster.
● Defrost fridges and freezers regularly to avoid a build up of ice, as this makes the motor work harder and uses more power.
● Freezing leftovers from meals is a great way to save food, but wait for them to cool down before putting them in your fridge and freezer as this uses extra power.
● Use LED lighting where possible, as it uses much less electricity and lasts much longer than traditional light bulbs.
● Turn radiators down in rooms which you only use occasionally – you can decide how warm you want each area to be in your home.
● Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £60 per year.
● Set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them.
● Switch your lights off when you’re not using them.
● If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. One full load uses less energy than two half loads.
● Many energy companies offer discounts to customers who pay their energy bills by monthly direct debit or opt in to receive bills by email rather than by post. Speak to your energy provider to see if they can offer this discount.
Energy advice from other organisations
Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust offers impartial advice to communities and households on how to reduce carbon emissions, use water more sustainably and save money on energy bills. More information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.
Greater Manchester Energy Advice Service (GMEAS)
Based in Manchester, GMEAS provides energy efficiency advice to all areas of Greater Manchester. A leading provider of the Government-backed Green Deal Assessments and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) with highly qualified Green Deal Advisors (GDA). More information can be found on the GMEAS website.
National Energy Action (NEA)
The NEA develops and promotes energy efficiency services to tackle the heating and insulation problems of low-income households. Visit their website here or download their energy checklist to help you manage your energy bills and keep your home warm.
Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP)
GMHP is a unique partnership of housing providers in Greater Manchester. They work collaboratively to make a lasting and positive difference to lives and communities across the city region, delivering more, together than the sum of our parts. Their Energy Saving Booklet shows how making simple adjustments around the home can reduce energy usage whilst helping to make Greater Manchester households
warmer and healthier places to live.
Using our Daikin Heat Pumps
Some tenants may have a Daikin heat pump in their homes. If you are unsure on how to use them, please download the user guides below.
Daikin Altherma Small Monobloc User Guide
Daikin Altherma Hybrid User Guide
Follow our Energy and Regeneration Advisor on Twitter for more tips and advice.