Tips on how to save energy in your home according to Cramlington primary students

Children from a school in Cramlington are sharing their tips on cutting energy bills for Big Energy Saving Week, which ran from 16th - 23rd January. 

Pupils from Beaconhill Primary School created posters for local housebuilder, Barratt Developments North East, to illustrate ways people can be energy efficient in their home to be environmentally responsible and reduce household bills. The 5 star housebuilder recruited the Cramlington pupils to come up with energy saving tips following a report revealing that homeowners can save thousands a year on energy bills in new homes such as those at its nearby development, West Meadows at the Arcot Estate.

The three top energy saving tips shared by children at Beaconhill Primary School are: 

1. Switch off lights

Save energy by turning off any lights in unused rooms and only switch on when needed - try to resist using lights during the daytime. Use LED bulbs to reduce lighting bills as well as carbon dioxide emissions, therefore lowering your carbon footprint.

2. Consider cooking with the microwave

Energy bills can be cut by using electrical appliances in the home differently, such as cooking with microwaves or slow cookers, which use significantly less energy than ovens. Filling the kettle only with the correct amount of water you need will also contribute to lower energy bills. 

3. Draught-proof windows and close curtains

By blocking any unwanted gaps that let in cold air and putting up/closing curtains, households can expect to see a reduction in energy consumption, and therefore lower costs.  

Barratt Developments, which includes the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, plays a part in ensuring homeowners can save energy in the home. Installing boilers that produce hot water only when needed and fitting modern double glazing filled with argon gas are just some of the ways the five star housebuilder is driving energy savings.    

Beaconhill Primary School Headteacher, Joel Routledge, said: “We were delighted to get involved for Big Energy Saving Week. Learning about energy is a key part of the curriculum and it was fantastic to see our pupils get creative.

“They really enjoyed creating the posters for Barratt and the activity helped to teach them about energy conservation. We’re really proud of our students for coming up with such great tips and approaching this activity with admirable enthusiasm. We’d like to extend our thanks for the generous voucher gifted to the school”. 

Stephen Wooldridge, Technical Director at Barratt Developments North East said: “We’re thankful to the pupils at Beaconhill Primary School for their talent and getting involved to create some truly great posters. 

"Barratt is committed to building energy-efficient quality homes using the latest technologies to save our customers money and it’s been excellent to partner with Throston Primary School to highlight the importance of keeping energy usage down. We hope we can work with them again in the future.”