Keeping Your Bills as Low as Possible

Luke Purdy, Isle of Man Energy’s head of service operations, talks customer care, comfort checks and community.

‘Our engineers make around 10,000 home visits a year in the Isle of Man so they’re very much “the face” of Isle of Man Energy and really do care about their customers, always putting them first,’ says Luke Purdy, head of service operations for Isle of Man Energy. 

Luke has first-hand customer-facing experience. ‘Some 12 years ago I started out as a gas engineer, going to customers’ houses to service their boilers and to respond to emergency calls, so I know how important it is to give good customer service…and the guys in my team recognise that importance, too,’ he says.

‘Our customers aren’t just an account number on a bill. For our engineers, customers are real people with real needs – perhaps in crisis if their heating’s failed – and our guys are there to help.

‘However, help isn’t just about fixing a boiler. Right now, it’s about being there for our customers to help them manage how they use energy in their home, to ensure their appliances are working at the optimum settings to provide comfort and maximum fuel efficiency.’

Luke says Isle of Man Energy is working to support the government’s net zero transition strategy. ‘I go to a lot of transition-themed events, but hand-in-hand with that, Isle of Man Energy is working with customers to see how we can help them right now. That’s our target. There’s new tech coming on to the market, but it’s still early stages: but there are things homeowners can do right now so they don’t waste energy. And that’s where our free energy reviews – comfort checks as we call them – can make a real difference. This is where one of our Energy Saving Trust-endorsed advisers will visit your home, review the settings on your appliances to ensure they’re working efficiently and help you to save energy and money. 

‘A lot of people don’t realise there are small changes they can introduce that will make a positive difference to their energy consumption.  I always make a point of this when I give talks at community events, for example, because we recognise that – for some older people especially – getting to grips with energy-saving measures can be daunting. For all customers alike, the team and I stress that one of the best things you can do is to have really good home insulation. While it can be costly to install, it can bring very real long-term savings. Then there’s having your central heating system flushed out to rid it of sludge residue: sludge in the system is responsible for around 80 per cent of boiler breakdowns, and can make a boiler much less efficient…so getting rid of it can make a real difference.

‘Then there’s smart home technology for greater choice, control and efficiency, which allows you to manage your home heating via an app. Before the global energy crisis, fuel bills were perhaps less of a financial consideration, but that’s no longer the case. And that’s where smart technology can make such a difference. The technology’s developing all the time, but with the smart-home tech that’s available now, you could shave off an hour’s heating here and there without adversely affecting your comfort levels – and you’ll be managing your energy consumption more efficiently.  We sell smart home products from huge brands, like Hive and Tado, and you don’t even have to be a gas customer to buy them from us and use them – you can be on oil or even electric heating.

‘We’re always looking at the latest developments in technology and when the next generation of hybrid system boilers coming onto the market was pitched to us, that was a real “light bulb moment” for us. That’s the near future and that’s where the company wants to be. We’re on a huge learning curve in the energy industry. We know there are going to be great advances in technology and we have the skills to support that, by delivering lower carbon heating solutions and renewable energy options as we transition towards Net Zero. It’s fundamental to Isle of Man Energy that we’re able to help our customers to benefit from those developments, whatever fuel they use.

‘As part of becoming an energy services company, it was important that we became more accessible, so now we have a new website – isleofmanenergy.im – where customers can connect more easily with us, get energy advice and find out about the wide range of services we offer. We haven’t lost sight, though, of the importance many customers place on face-to-face contact, so we still operate a counter service at our Murdoch House headquarters, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm. 

‘As technology and the range of services we offer evolve, the guys in the team are spending a lot more of their time out in the community, so it’s great that they’re receiving so much positive feedback and praise from their customers.’

Staying with the community theme, Luke says: ‘Last year we supported the Salvation Army’s debt advisory service and this year we’ll be continuing to support them, along with Age Concern and Live at Home. 

‘I know I speak for all the guys when I say ours is a very rewarding job – I always found that to be the case back when I was a gas engineer. You’re in someone’s home – often at a time when an appliance’s failed – so for the time that you’re with them you’re just about the most important person in their life and that’s a real privilege. 

‘We may be part of a big company now, but the work my team of engineers do isn’t just about getting in and out of a customer’s home in the shortest time possible; it’s about providing a personal service and always putting the customer first.’

Cut Fuel Bills

In a typical household, over half of your fuel bills are spent on heating and hot water. An efficient heating system, that you can control easily, can help reduce your fuel bills and reduce your carbon emissions.

Here are some tips from Luke and the team at Isle of Man Energy about how to save energy and money: there are some options that do require some investment, but there are also things that you can easily do which cost nothing.

Get your boiler serviced and de-sludge your radiators

In the same way you get your car serviced, to keep it running smoothly, having your boiler serviced annually helps to keep it working efficiently.

Always check that anyone doing the job is properly qualified: use one of our trusted, experienced engineers from Isle of Man Energy, or someone who is listed on the Gas Safe Register.

Investing in a power flush once a year can increase the efficiency of your central heating system by up to 40%. The Energy Helpline states, “Sludge and other debris can clog up your system and cause blockages. This in turn leads to reduced heating output from your radiators, leading you to leave the heating on for longer, or to turn the heating up higher to achieve the same effect.”

Prices vary depending on the size of your home and number of radiators but typically start from £300.

Insulate your home 

A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Insulating your loft, attic or flat roof is an effective way to reduce heat loss and reduce your heating bills. Poor insulation can mean you’re paying to heat the outside rather than the inside of your home.    

Installed correctly, loft insulation should pay for itself many times over in its 40-year lifetime.

Insulate your water tank and pipes

Lagging water tanks and pipes reduces the amount of heat lost, so you spend less money heating water up – and hot water also stays hotter for longer.

If you already have a jacket fitted around your tank, check the thickness. It should be at least 80mm thick; if it isn’t, consider buying a new one. Topping up your hot water tank insulation from 25mm to 80mm thick, using a British Standard jacket, could save you around £70 a year. A hot water cylinder jacket costs about £16, and fitting it is a straightforward job if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pipe insulation consists of a foam tube that covers the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler, reducing the amount of heat lost and, therefore, keeping your water hotter for longer. It can be as simple as choosing the correct size from a DIY store and then slipping it around the pipes if they are accessible; if your pipes are hard to reach, you may need to engage a professional.

Install radiator reflector panels

If you’re trying to save money on your heating bills and reduce your energy consumption, radiator reflector panels are another low-cost option.

Fixed behind your radiators, they reflect heat from the radiator back into the room instead of letting the heat out through an external wall; they produce the most benefit when installed on uninsulated solid walls. Remember, you only need to put reflector panels behind radiators on external walls.

Make sure your home is draught proof 

Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy and money in your home. Block up unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out; it’s worth going round your house checking for draughts – especially from letterboxes, windows, chimneys and doors, and even gaps in the skirting or floorboards.  

A budget option is to buy draught excluder tape or foam strips from your local DIY store or silicone-based sealant for door and window seals.

Use smart technology

Smart home technology (such as Hive and Tado, available from Isle of Man Energy) can help you save energy, as you are able to control your heating from your phone – from anywhere. This means you can easily turn it off when you don’t need it – like when you are out of the house – and that can help you save money. Using smart thermostatic radiator valves (smart TRVs) means you have control of heating individual rooms, so you’re only heating the parts of your home that you are using. 

Find out more by clicking on isleofmanenergy.im – our team will supply and install these products for you.

Rearrange your furniture

The positioning of your furniture can make a surprising difference to how warm your home feels. 

Place your bed to be as close to the room’s radiator as possible without obstructing it which allows enough space for the radiator’s heat to circulate so that the entire bedroom is warm at night.

Reduce the time your central heating is on 

Reducing the time your central heating is on by just 30 minutes a day could save between £10 – £14 a week, depending on the type and size of your boiler.

Bleed your radiators

If the radiators in your home aren’t heating up properly or are cold at the top and warm at the bottom, they could need bleeding with a special key. This is a fairly straightforward DIY job that releases any trapped air in the system and makes your heating system work more efficiently and will allow hot water to circulate through your heating system once again. 

If you can hear radiators gurgling or pipes banging, it’s usually a tell-tale sign that it’s a job that needs doing.   

Bleeding your radiator: a step by step guide

Top tip: If you’re bleeding more than one radiator, start with the one furthest away from your boiler. If you’re living in a two (or more) storey house, start with the downstairs radiators before repeating upstairs.

When you’ve found out which of the radiators in your home’s heating system need bleeding, follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure your heating is off and the radiators are cold.

2. Hold an old cloth, or a jug, under the bleed valve, and insert the bleed key.

3. Turn anti-clockwise until air starts escaping (you’ll hear a hissing noise).

4. When water starts to escape, turn the key clockwise to re-tighten the valve.

5. Repeat on other radiators that need attention, making your way back towards the boiler.

6. Turn your heating back on and check if your radiators are now heating up correctly.

Turn down your heating thermostat by one degree 

Your thermostat will turn off your heating system when the set temperature is achieved in your home. Turning it down by just one degree will have a big impact on your heating bill and you probably won’t even notice the difference in temperature.

Wash your clothes at 30 degrees 

Washing your clothes at lower temperatures will reduce the amount of energy being used during each washing cycle. Many washing tablet brands also recommend washing your clothes at 30 degrees, as you will still achieve great results.

Take one minute off your shower 

Taking one minute off your shower will reduce your hot water consumption and it doesn’t cost you a thing. You could use a timer to remind you when to finish, or put together a timed playlist of your favourite songs to shower to! 

Turn off your devices 

Many devices around your home will use electricity without you noticing – even when they are on standby. TVs, laptops and phone chargers are the usual suspects. Switch them off at the wall when you’re not using them.

Don’t overfill your kettle 

Boiling more water than you need uses up more energy, so only fill your kettle with the amount you need to make that round of teas or coffees.